National Gallery
National Gallery – upcoming exhibitionsClose Examination: Fakes, Mistakes and Discoveries
30th Jun – 12th Sep 2010 The National Gallery’s “Close Examination” exhibition will explore the vital contribution that science has made to the better understanding of their Old Master paintings through the use of advanced techniques in examination, conservation and historical research to investigate a painting’s physical properties.
Frederick Cayley Robinson’s “Acts of Mercy” painting
14th Jul – 17th Oct 2010 Frederick Cayley Robinson’s masterpiece, “Acts of Mercy”, comprises four large-scale works which explore the positive forces of the human spirit in the face of utter destruction. You can see all four pieces together ain a special exhibition at the National Gallery.
Canaletto exhibition, at the National Gallery
13th Oct 2010 – 16th Jan 2011 The National Gallery’s new exhibition, entitled “Venice: Canaletto and His Rivals”, will present the finest assembly of Venetian views since the much-celebrated display in Venice in 1967. It will bring together works by Canaletto, Luca Carlevarijs, Michele Marieschi, Bernardo Bellotto and Francesco Guardi.
The National Gallery is London’s premier art gallery, with over 2,000 works from 1260 onwards. Some of the artists on display include Botticelli, Cézanne, Constable, Monet, Rembrandt, Renoir, Titian, Turner and Van Gogh.
History of the National Gallery
The National Gallery was built in 1837 at the northern end of Trafalgar Square to accommodate a small collection paintings. The Government invested £57,000 in thirty-eight works by Raphael, Rembrandt and Rubens.
Despite the small amount of work on display, the building was soon cramped by the Royal Academy of Arts. This was moved to Piccadilly in 1868, and the works were given room to breathe.
The gallery is split into four different sections: the Sainsbury Wing deals with 1260 to 1510; the West Wing has 1510 to 1600; the North Wing has 1600 to 1700, and the East Wing has everything from 1700 to 1900.
The Sainsbury Wing (1260-1510)
The Sainsbury Wing is the newest part of the gallery – but displays the oldest paintings. Here you can see works from 1260 to 1510, which encompasses the Renaissance and artists like Titian, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci. One of his best pieces is Virgin and Child with St. Anne and St. John the Baptist. This was painted in 1508, and hangs in a specially darkened room.
Van Gogh’s A Wheatfield, with Cypresses
Seurat’s The Bathers at AsnièresSandro Botticelli’s Venus and Mars depicts the God and Goddess lying on the grass with three mischievous little kids hovering by a fence.
Another famous sight is Jan Van Eyck’s Marriage of the Arnolfini. At the back of the scene hangs a mirror – expertly rendered to display the room in convex.
The West Wing (1510-1600)
The West Wing contains mainly French, Italian and Dutch paintings from the High Renaissance. Artists include Michelangelo, Correggio and El Greco.
Be sure to see Hans Holbein’s The Ambassadors. This life-size portrait of Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve contains a cleverly-intended illusion: at the front of the scene lies what seems to be a distorted disk, but if you move to the sides (footprints on the floor show you where to stand) then it reveals itself to be a human skull!
The North Wing (1600-1700)
The North Wing contains some of the most famous names in art: Rubens; Rembrandt; Van Dyck and Vermeer.
Italians from the 16th and 17th-centuries take primacy, but pride of place goes to Velázquez’s The Toilet of Venus. This painting caused uproar at the height of the Spanish Inquisition because Venus was shown sitting in the nude.
The East Wing (1700-1900)
The East Wing is the most popular part of the National Gallery – because it contains the famous British painters. John Constable’s The Hay Wain occupies Room 34, and J W Turner’s The Fighting Téméraire hangs nearby. This masterpiece of light and sky depicts an old decrepit warship being towed to a ship-breaking yard.
Other famous paintings not to be missed are Seurat’s The Bathers at Asnières, and a trio of Vincent Van Gogh masterpieces: Sunflowers; Chair and A Wheatfield, with Cypresses. You can also find works by Gauguin, Cézanne, Monet and Renoir.
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Facts and information
- Address:
- National Gallery, Trafalgar Square,
London WC2N 5DN
England - Telephone:
- Work +44 (0) 207 747 2885
- Buses:
- 3 6 9 11 12 13 14 15 19 2223 24 29 38 53 87 88 91 94 139 159 177 453
- Trains:
- Charing Cross BK NR, Covent Garden PC, Embankment BK CR DS NR, Leicester Square NR PC, Piccadilly Circus BK PC
- Opening times:
- 10–6 (Mon–Tue, Thu–Sun) 10–9 (Wed)
- Cost:
- Free
- Hotels near National Gallery
- Restaurants near National Gallery
National Gallery, London
Sainsbury Wing, National Gallery
Grand Staircase, National Gallery
The Barry RoomsFamous paintings at the National Gallery
Venus and Mars – Botticelli
Bathers – Cézanne
The Hay Wain – Constable
Miss La La – Degas
The Ambassadors – Holbein
The Water Lily Pond – Monet
The Ansidei Madonna – Raphael
The Madonna of the Pinks – Raphael
Le Chapeau de Paille – Rubens
The Bathers at Asnières – Seurat
Bacchus and Ariadne – Titian
The Fighting Téméraire – Turner
Charles I – Van Dyck
Marriage of the Arnolfini – Van Dyck
Chair – Van Gogh
Sunflowers – Van Gogh
A Wheatfield, with Cypresses – Van Gogh
Rokeby Venus – Velásquez
Virgin and Child with St. Anne and St. John the Baptist – Da Vinci