The National Gallery

The National Gallery, located on the north side of Trafalgar Square, was founded in 1824. The museum houses numerous fine artworks from the 13th to the 19th centuries, covering almost all typical representative works from all periods in European art history, from the late Middle Ages, the Renaissance, to the French Impressionist period.

Overview of the Museum

The museum displays famous paintings by renowned artists including Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh, Monet, Raphael, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, etc.

The entire art museum is divided into four wings: the southeast, the southwest, the northeast, and the northwest, with exhibits arranged in chronological order. The interior decoration of the museum is extremely classical and magnificent. People flock here all day long, so it is recommended to arrive early for entry. Before the visit, you can rent a Chinese-language audio guide for £4 at the entrance of the main entrance colonnade or on the second floor of the Sainsbury Wing, which provides detailed explanations of over 40 artworks in the collection.

The collection is mainly displayed on the second floor of the art museum, where dozens of exhibition rooms are located. The Sainsbury Wing, added in 1991, is connected to Room 9 on the second floor of the main building and houses early Renaissance works, with Leonardo da Vinci's "The Virgin of the Rocks" and "The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist" being among the most well-known.

The West Hall of the main building displays Italian and German paintings from the High Renaissance, including some of the rare large-scale works in the museum. The North Hall houses paintings from the 17th - 18th centuries by Dutch, Italian, French, and Spanish artists, with two dedicated exhibition rooms for Rembrandt's works. The collection in the East Hall includes Venetian, French, and British paintings from the 18th century to the early 20th century, with landscape paintings as a major feature, and also many masterpieces of the Romantic and Impressionist schools.

The National Gallery houses numerous treasures, and even those with limited knowledge of art can directly feel the impact of art here. A general visit takes at least two hours, and if you have ample time, you can set aside half a day.

Popular Exhibit Recommendations

The following recommends some popular exhibits that should not be missed even if you just take a quick look, and often require queuing for a visit.

Michelangelo's The Entombment is located in Exhibition Room 8.

Rembrandt's Self Portrait at the Age of 34 is located in Exhibition Room 24.

Monet's The Water-Lily Pond is located in Exhibition Room 43.

Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" is located in Exhibition Room 45.

Leonardo da Vinci's The Virgin of the Rocks is located in Exhibition Room 57.

Botticelli's "Venus and Mars" is located in Exhibition Room 58.

Raphael's The Madonna of the Pinks is located in Exhibition Room 60.

Please note that the exhibited paintings may be relocated daily, and the exhibition booths are not fixed. After entering the museum, you can first visit the Help Desk to inquire about the specific location of the paintings and pick up a guidebook. During your visit, some paintings may not be on display due to maintenance, loan, or other reasons. You can visit the official website or contact the museum's Information Department (information@ng-london.org.uk) in advance to check whether a specific painting is currently on display.