The museum has also been awarded £75,000 from the Museum Renewal Fund to showcase another Maidstone-born artist, William Alexander, who is known for his depictions of 18th Century China.
Alexander, born in 1767, served as the official draughtsman on Britain’s first diplomatic mission to the Chinese Qing court.
Experts said Alexander’s illustrations were drawn from direct observation, offering an unprecedented view into Chinese life at the time.
The grant is to be used to develop a touring exhibition focusing on the artist’s “global impact”, curators have said.