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Search the collection. Search or browse our collection of more than 2,600 paintings. Show full image Group by artist. 0 of 2,627 paintings. You've viewed 0 of 2627 paintings. See more. Trafalgar Square. London. WC2N 5DN.
- After The Misdeed
This work can be placed among the artist's genre paintings...
- Collection Overview
The National Gallery, London houses one of the greatest...
- Must-Sees
One of the most famous paintings in the National Gallery,...
- 30 Key Artists
The National Gallery houses one of the finest collections of...
- Tour
Tour: Renaissance masterpieces. This self-guided short tour...
- After The Misdeed
- 'The Arnolfini Portrait' by Jan van Eyck. The most popular painting page, with the highest number of views, is Jan van Eyck’s 'Arnolfini Portrait'. In 2020 we saw a lot of people get creative with bathroom towels, stuffed toys and duvets to recreate this famous painting at home, including TV's favourite pairing Ant and Dec, which may be one reason why this painting takes the crown.
- 'The Ambassadors' by Hans Holbein the Younger. This painting is much more than just a portrait of the French diplomat Jean de Dinteville (left) and his close friend, Georges de Selve, Bishop of Lavaur; the table they're leaning against is piled with objects: books, musical instruments, globes and fancy star charts, is this 16th-century 'tablescaping'?
- 'Sunflowers' by Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh made his dazzling sunflower paintings to decorate the house he had rented in Arles in readiness for a visit from his friend and fellow artist, Paul Gauguin.
- 'The Fighting Temeraire' by Joseph Mallord William Turner. Set against a blazing sunset, the last voyage of the Temeraire – a warship which had played a distinguished role in the Battle of Trafalgar – takes on a greater symbolic meaning, as the age of sail gives way to the age of steam.
Founded in 1824, from an initial purchase of 36 paintings by the British Government, its collections have since grown to about 2,300 paintings by roughly 750 artists dating from the mid-13th century to 1900, most of which are on display. This page lists some of the highlights of the collection.
- 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 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.
Feb 2, 2011 · London, United Kingdom. The National Gallery Collection contains over 2,300 works, including many famous works, such as van Eyck’s 'Arnolfini Portrait', Velázquez’s 'Rokeby Venus', Turner’s 'Fighting Temeraire' and Van Gogh’s 'Sunflowers'.
