London’s National Gallery of Art hosts two thought-provoking exhibitions well worth a side trip during you next London visit. “Peter Balke” (through April 12) features rarely seen works by Norwegian modernist Peder Balke (1804–1887). Known for brilliantly capturing the essence of solitude on canvas in dramatic seascapes, Balke went largely unappreciated during his lifetime as an artist, but has since been recognized as an important forefather of modernism.

From March 4–May 31, it’s a different school of artistic thought when “Inventing Impressionism” opens. The exhibition is a retrospective of Parisian art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel, credited with discovering the work of young artists Monet, Degas, Manet, Renoir, Pissarro and Sisley, and his singular dedication to bringing them to the notice of the public. In the process, he managed to also create the modern art market as it’s known today. Presented in collaboration with the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the exhibition includes photographs and 85 masterworks