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The National Gallery, London. Bringing people and paintings together. Admission free, donations welcome. Open daily: 10am - 6pm. Friday lates until 9pm. Trafalgar Square, London. WC2N 5DN. Plan your visit. Need more assistance? Visit our access page. Celebrating 200 years. Welcome to the National Gallery Bicentenary!
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The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current director of the National Gallery is Gabriele Finaldi.
Entry to the Gallery to view the collection is free – admission is now through the Portico Entrance.
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- Sandro Botticelli, Venus and Mars
- Jan Van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait
- Paolo Uccello, Battle of San Romano
- Piero Della Francesca, The Baptism of Christ
- Leonardo Da Vinci, Virgin of The Rocks
- Michelangelo, Entombment, 1500-01
- Giorgione, The Sunset
- Raphael, Pope Julius II
- Titian,Bacchus and Ariadne
- Bronzino, An Allegory with Venus and Cupid
Botticelli was the greatest painter of the early Renaissance period in Florence. His art represents the pinnacle of the golden age of Florence’s Medici dynasty. Botticelli’s work was groundbreaking — pure visual poetry and elegance. He was the first artist to break from tradition and depict large scale, non-religious mythological themes. READ: Guid...
Contrary to popular belief, the Renaissance didn’t just happen in Florence. It was happening simultaneously in Northern Europe. This National Gallery masterpiece may be the world’s first oil, rather than tempera, painting. The Arnolfini Portraitis a stunning full length double portrait with astonishing realism. Presumably, it’s a portrait of a weal...
A student of the Italian sculptor Ghiberti (of Gates of Paradise fame), Uccello was a product of the International Gothic style. But he became an innovative artist of the early Renaissance. Uccello became obsessed with the study of perspective. According to Giorgio Vasari, he neglected his family, becoming “solitary, eccentric, melancholy, and impo...
Piero is a genius and foundational artist of the Quattrocento or early Renaissance. In his time, he was revered as a monarch. Piero’s was a passionate student of math and geometry, possibly anticipating Leonardo da Vinci. His works are highly realistic, linear, and calculated. They’re characterized by an infused calm and geometric sobriety. His coo...
Virgin of the Rocks is the most famous painting at the National Gallery. There are two versions of this Leonardo painting, both commissioned during his time in Milan. Both paintings began to define the style of the High Renaissance. The earlier one is in the Louvre. Leonardo’s painting depicts the legend of St. John the Baptist meeting the holy fam...
Michelangelohas been famous for over 500 years. He was a giant of the Renaissance, showing virtuosity in every medium — sculpture, painting, poetry, and architecture. Dubbed the “divine artist,” Michelangelo was the first sculptor to be hailed as a genius in his lifetime, as early as his 20s. Michelangelo created some of the world’s most beautiful ...
Giorgionewas an enigmatic Venetian Renaissance painter. He is universally known as one of the most influential of Western artists. READ: Nutshell History of Venice Giorgione had a short 15 year career, dying prematurely at just 37. He was likely the pupil of Giovani Bellini. Giorgione is known for his superhuman painting skills. Giorgione is consid...
Raphael was one of the “holy trinity” of Renaissance painters, along with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Nicknamed the “Prince of Painters,” Raphael’s compositions were serene and harmonious. He mastered the signature techniques of the High Renaissance — sfumato, perspective, anatomical correctness, and authentic emotionality and expression. T...
Titian is widely considered the most important and successful painter of the 16th century Venetian school. Titian was the master of oil, a prolific producer of colorful paintings. Bacchus and Ariadnewas commissioned by Alfonso d’Este. The story of Bacchus and Ariadne hadn’t really been portrayed before. The story goes that Ariadne helped Theseus va...
Bronzino was a Mannerist painter. He worked in the Medici court and was the prize pupil of Pontormo. Bronzino became famous as a portraitist of the Medici duke and duchess. READ: History of the Medici This racy painting has long fascinated art historians. It’s likely the most frankly erotic painting in the collection. It almost appears like a gloss...
The completed building at Trafalgar Square, designed by the architect William Wilkins, opened as the new home of the National Gallery in 1838. Since this time, numerous alterations and extensions have been made to the original building at Trafalgar Square, creating exciting new spaces.
In 1831 Parliament agreed to construct a building for the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square. There had been lengthy discussion about the best site for the Gallery, and Trafalgar Square was eventually chosen as it was considered to be at the very centre of London.
