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National Gallery

Europe · United Kingdom

National Gallery

📍 London, United Kingdom · Founded 1824

On Trafalgar Square in the center of London, a free museum shows Western European painting from about 1250 to 1900, including Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Constable's Hay Wain and Turner's Fighting Temeraire.

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History of the museum

The government bought 38 paintings from the collection of a banker, John Julius Angerstein, in 1824 to start the National Gallery, and it first showed them in his house on Pall Mall. The present building on Trafalgar Square, by William Wilkins, opened in 1838. During the Second World War the paintings were hidden in a Welsh slate quarry, and a single painting was shown each month in London. Entry is free.

Top pieces

In our gallery from here (107)

Arnolfini Portrait Arnolfini PortraitJan van Eyck · 1434 The Ambassadors The AmbassadorsHans Holbein the Younger · 1533 The Hay Wain The Hay WainJohn Constable · 1821 Supper at Emmaus Supper at EmmausCaravaggio · 1601 Venus and Mars Venus and MarsSandro Botticelli · 1485 Belshazzar's Feast Belshazzar's FeastRembrandt · 1636 An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump An Experiment on a Bird in the Air PumpJoseph Wright of Derby · 1768 Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western RailwayJ. M. W. Turner · 1844 Music in the Tuileries Music in the TuileriesÉdouard Manet · 1862 The Dream of a Knight The Dream of a KnightRaphael · 1504 The Fighting Temeraire The Fighting TemeraireJ. M. W. Turner · 1839 Boy Bitten by a Lizard Boy Bitten by a LizardCaravaggio · 1594 The Umbrellas The UmbrellasPierre-Auguste Renoir · 1881 The Entombment The EntombmentMichelangelo · 1500 Allegory of Prudence Allegory of PrudenceTitian · 1550 Mr and Mrs Andrews Mr and Mrs AndrewsThomas Gainsborough · 1748 Bacchus and Ariadne Bacchus and AriadneTitian · 1520 Van Gogh's Chair Van Gogh's ChairVincent van Gogh · 1889 Samson and Delilah Samson and DelilahPeter Paul Rubens · 1609 The Execution of Lady Jane Grey The Execution of Lady Jane GreyPaul Delaroche · 1833 Madame Moitessier Madame MoitessierJean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres · 1856 Tiger in a Tropical Storm Tiger in a Tropical StormHenri Rousseau · 1891 Portrait of a Man (Self-Portrait?) Portrait of a Man (Self-Portrait?)Jan van Eyck · 1433 Léal Souvenir Léal SouvenirJan van Eyck · 1432 Saint Jerome in His Study Saint Jerome in His StudyAntonello da Messina · 1474 The Annunciation, with Saint Emidius The Annunciation, with Saint EmidiusCarlo Crivelli · 1486 The Mystical Nativity The Mystical NativitySandro Botticelli · 1500 Madonna del Prato Madonna del PratoGiovanni Bellini · 1500 La Schiavona La SchiavonaTitian · 1510 The Ugly Duchess The Ugly DuchessQuinten Metsys · 1513 Portrait of a young man with a skull Portrait of a young man with a skullFrans Hals · 1628 Self-Portrait at the Age of 34 Self-Portrait at the Age of 34Rembrandt · 1640 Portrait of Doña Isabel de Porcel Portrait of Doña Isabel de PorcelFrancisco Goya · 1800 Dido building Carthage Dido building CarthageJ. M. W. Turner · 1815 Tobias and the Angel Tobias and the AngelUnknown artist · 1470 Manchester Madonna Manchester MadonnaMichelangelo · 1494 Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan Portrait of Doge Leonardo LoredanGiovanni Bellini · 1500 Christ in the House of Martha and Mary Christ in the House of Martha and MaryDiego Velázquez · 1618 The Adoration of the Golden Calf The Adoration of the Golden CalfNicolas Poussin · 1634 The Agony in the Garden The Agony in the GardenAndrea Mantegna · 1450 Agony in the Garden Agony in the GardenGiovanni Bellini · 1459 The Death of Procris The Death of ProcrisPiero di Cosimo · 1495 Christ Crowned with Thorns Christ Crowned with ThornsHieronymus Bosch · 1495 The Stonemason's Yard The Stonemason's YardGiovanni Antonio Canal · 1725 The Cornfield The CornfieldJohn Constable · 1826 Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando Miss La La at the Cirque FernandoEdgar Degas · 1879 Two Crabs Two CrabsVincent van Gogh · 1889 The Nativity The NativityPiero della Francesca · 1480 St. Jerome in the Wilderness St. Jerome in the WildernessAlbrecht Dürer · 1496 Portrait of a Woman Portrait of a WomanLorenzo Lotto · 1530 Portrait of Susanna Lunden Portrait of Susanna LundenPeter Paul Rubens · 1622 Whistlejacket WhistlejacketGeorge Stubbs · 1762 Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows Salisbury Cathedral from the MeadowsJohn Constable · 1831 Farms near Auvers Farms near AuversVincent van Gogh · 1890 Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian Martyrdom of Saint SebastianAntonio del Pollaiuolo · 1475 The Vision of Saint Jerome The Vision of Saint JeromeParmigianino · 1526 Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan Christina of Denmark, Duchess of MilanHans Holbein the Younger · 1538 Saint George and the Dragon Saint George and the DragonJacopo Tintoretto · 1555 Christ before the High Priest Christ before the High PriestGerard van Honthorst · 1617 Saint Margaret of Antioch Saint Margaret of AntiochFrancisco de Zurbarán · 1630 The Courtyard of a House in Delft The Courtyard of a House in DelftPieter de Hooch · 1658 The Graham Children The Graham ChildrenWilliam Hogarth · 1742 Saint George and the Dragon Saint George and the DragonPaolo Uccello · 1470 Apollo and Daphne Apollo and DaphnePiero del Pollaiuolo · 1470 Nativity at Night Nativity at NightGeertgen tot Sint Jans · 1490 The Conversion of Mary Magdalene The Conversion of Mary MagdalenePaolo Veronese · 1548 The Family of Darius Before Alexander The Family of Darius Before AlexanderPaolo Veronese · 1565 The Bewitched Man The Bewitched ManFrancisco Goya · 1790 Summer's Day Summer's DayBerthe Morisot · 1879 The Tailor The TailorGiovanni Battista Moroni · 1567 Domine quo vadis? Domine quo vadis?Annibale Carracci · 1601 Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of AlexandriaArtemisia Gentileschi · 1616 Lord John Stuart and His Brother, Lord Bernard Stuart Lord John Stuart and His Brother, Lord Bernard StuartAnthony van Dyck · 1638 Seaport with the Embarkation of Saint Ursula Seaport with the Embarkation of Saint UrsulaClaude Lorrain · 1641 The Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba The Embarkation of the Queen of ShebaClaude Lorrain · 1648 A View of Delft A View of DelftCarel Fabritius · 1652 Lady Cockburn and Her Three Eldest Sons Lady Cockburn and Her Three Eldest SonsJoshua Reynolds · 1773 Self Portrait in a Straw Hat Self Portrait in a Straw HatÉlisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun · 1782 Mr and Mrs William Hallett ('The Morning Walk') Mr and Mrs William Hallett ('The Morning Walk')Thomas Gainsborough · 1785 The Market Cart The Market CartThomas Gainsborough · 1786 Cimabue's Celebrated Madonna Cimabue's Celebrated MadonnaFrederic Leighton · 1854 Snow at Argenteuil Snow at ArgenteuilClaude Monet · 1875 At the Theatre (La Première Sortie) At the Theatre (La Première Sortie)Pierre-Auguste Renoir · 1876 Madonna with Child Madonna with ChildAntonello da Messina · 1460 Joseph with Jacob in Egypt Joseph with Jacob in EgyptPontormo · 1518 Madonna of the Cat Madonna of the CatFederico Barocci · 1575 Equestrian Portrait of Charles I Equestrian Portrait of Charles IAnthony van Dyck · 1630 The Heavenly and Earthly Trinities The Heavenly and Earthly TrinitiesBartolomé Esteban Murillo · 1678 The Shrimp Girl The Shrimp GirlWilliam Hogarth · 1743 Ulysses deriding Polyphemus Ulysses deriding PolyphemusJ. M. W. Turner · 1829 Young Spartans Exercising Young Spartans ExercisingEdgar Degas · 1860 Two Rats Two RatsVincent van Gogh · 1884 Seven Saints Seven SaintsFilippo Lippi · 1449 The Entombment The EntombmentDieric Bouts · 1450 Portrait of a Lady Portrait of a LadyAlesso Baldovinetti · 1465 Madonna of the Milk Madonna of the MilkAndrea del Verrocchio · 1467 Portrait of Dürer's Father at 70 Portrait of Dürer's Father at 70Unknown artist · 1497 The Trinity and Mystic Pietà The Trinity and Mystic PietàHans Baldung Grien · 1512 The Raising of Lazarus The Raising of LazarusSebastiano del Piombo · 1517 A Blonde Woman A Blonde WomanPalma Vecchio · 1520 Mary Magdalene Mary MagdaleneGiovanni Girolamo Savoldo · 1535 The Virgin in Prayer The Virgin in PrayerGiovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato · 1640 Young Man in a Fur Cap Young Man in a Fur CapCarel Fabritius · 1654 The Avenue at Middelharnis The Avenue at MiddelharnisMeindert Hobbema · 1689 The Côte des Bœufs, Pontoise The Côte des Bœufs, PontoiseCamille Pissarro · 1877 The Marquise de Seignelay and Two of her Sons The Marquise de Seignelay and Two of her SonsPierre Mignard I · 1691 The Tempest The TempestPeder Balke · 1862

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