The National Gallery

Full Description

Founded in 1824, the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square houses a rich collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900 The collection belongs to the British public and entry to the main collection is free, although there are charges for entry to special exhibitions.

Highlights

Some of the Gallery's best-loved works include...

• Sunflowers, Vincent Van Gogh, 1888
• Bathers at Asnières, Georges Seurat, 1884
• The Fighting Temeraire, William Turner, 1856
• Bathers at La Grenouillère, Claude-Oscar Monet, 1869
• The Virgin of the Rocks, Leonardo da Vinci, about 1491-1508
• The Madonna of the Pinks, Raphael, about 1506-7
• The Arnolfini Portrait, Jan van Eyck, 1434
• Bacchus and Ariadne, Titian, 1520-3
• The Hay Wain, John Constable, 1821
• Seaport with the Embarkation of Saint Ursula, Claude, 1641
• Samson and Delilah, Peter Paul Rubens, about 1609-10
• The Rokeby Venus, Diego Velázquez, 1647-51

In 2004, the National Gallery secured Raphael's The Madonna of the Pinks for £22m after the Duke of Northumberland decided to sell it. The gallery had around 18 months to raise the funds after the government put a temporary export bar on the painting in January 2003 to "provide a last chance" to raise the cash needed to keep it in the country. The money was eventually collected by the Heritage Lottery fund and contributions from members of the public. [BBC News]

Additional Information

The National Gallery Opening Hours:

Daily 10.00am - 6.00pm
Friday 10.00am - 9.00pm
Closed 24, 25, 26 December and 1 January
General Admission is free, but some exhibitions and events carry a separate charge.

All photos Copyright © 2002 The National Gallery, London

Disclaimer: This page is for information only. Discount London Tours has no affiliation with the National Gallery and we do not sell tickets to the exhibitions.