The National Gallery

The National Gallery on London's Trafalgar Square is the capitals best-loved art gallery. It houses thousands of Western European artworks dating from 1250 onwards in a beautiful, labyrinth like building.

The National Gallery was established in 1824 after the House of Commons agreed to pay £57,000 for 38 pictures belonging to banker John Julius Angerstein, the artworks were intended to form the core of a new national collection that the British public could enjoy.

In 1831 Parliament agreed that the National Collection needed a permanent home, Trafalgar Square was decided upon as it was felt that all classes of society could easily enjoy the artwork on display. The Kings Mews has formally stood on the Trafalgar Square site and architects working of the new National Gallery used similar constructions methods to those used in the Mews. Quite a lot of recycling took place in the creation of the Gallery and columns from the home of the Prince Regent, Carlton House were reused for the east and west porticos. However, once the building was complete it was heavily criticised and architect E.M/ Barry was asked to submit new designs that would rebuild the entire gallery, it was decided later that the original design should remain and a new wing added, this wing added the iconic dome to the building as well as seven new exhibition rooms.

Over its long history the National Gallery has been added to numerous times. The building was added to substantially in 1907 after a long battle over space behind the gallery; between 1928 and 1933 mosaic pavements were laid in the main hall; the Northern Extension was opened in 1975 adding nine large rooms to the gallery and in 1991 the Sainsbury wing was opened on a site that had been vacant since the Second World War.

Today the National Gallery is a Grade I listed building and is a building and art collection of national and international importance. The collection covers the entire spectrum of the arts world including Rennaisance, Impressionism painting, sculpture and modern art. Highlights of the collection include Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers', Monet's 'Bathers at La Grenouillere', 'The Madonna of the Pinks' by Raphael, Da Vinci's 'Madonna of the Rocks' and 'The Entombment' by Michelangelo. There are also works by Vermeer, Bellini, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Botticelli, Constable, Seurat, Turner, Stubbs and Carvaggio.

Visitors to the gallery are welcome to participate in free talks and tours around the gallery. In addition to its enormous permanent collection, temporary exhibitions also take place at the National Gallery some of which are free, family events also take place throughout the year and Wednesday evening free classical music recitals taking place. To find out more about these check out our Exhibitions, Music and Family sections.

The National Gallery is open daily from 10am to 6pm excepting Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Find out more about the National Gallery.

How to get there

The closest tube stations are at Charring Cross, Leicester Square and Embankment. If travelling by bus the 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 23, 24, 29, 53, 77A, 88, 91, 139, 159, 176 and 453 all serve Trafalgar Square.

Image © The National Gallery, London