National tour for major Reynolds painting, depicting the first Polynesian to visit Britain.
For the first time since being saved for the UK in 2023 with Art Fund support, Joshua Reynolds’ Portrait of Mai travels to Cambridge as part of Journeys with Mai, a national touring project. Mai, a native of Raietea in French Polynesia, visited Britain in the 1770s and became a celebrated figure in London society, famously painted by Reynolds.
The exhibition explores Mai’s journey from the Pacific to England and back, placing the 18th-century portrait in dialogue with contemporary audiences. Young people in Cambridge have contributed to the public programme, which runs alongside the display and invites reflection on colonial history, cross-cultural exchange, and Mai’s enduring legacy.
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Visitor information
Address
Trumpington Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 1RB
01223 332900
Opening times
Tue-Sat 10am-5pm
Sun & bank holidays 12pm-5pm
Closed Mondays, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day
