National Gallery

National Gallery The story of European art, masterpiece by masterpiece. We collect and care for the nation’s paintings and we share them with the world.
(75116)

Our social media code of conduct: https://bit.ly/2UsgWW4

Exhibitions: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/

Events: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on

Online gift shop: https://bit.ly/3iy0ko3

05/09/2026

Set against a blazing sunset, the last voyage of the Temeraire takes on a greater symbolic meaning…🌅

The final journey of the warship HMS Temeraire took place in 1838. Join us we take a closer look at J.M.W Turner’s evocative seascape, ‘The Fighting Temeraire’.

Only around 36 paintings by Johannes Vermeer still survive today, and you can currently see two of them for free at the ...
04/09/2026

Only around 36 paintings by Johannes Vermeer still survive today, and you can currently see two of them for free at the Gallery ✨

Enter Room 25 and you'll find two paintings by the great Dutch painter. 'A Young Woman standing at a Virginal' and 'A Young Woman seated at a Virginal' were both painted in around 1670-2 and there is some speculation that they might have been made as a pair.

In ‘A Young Woman standing at a Virginal’, the young woman at the keyboard holds our eye with a direct gaze. The empty chair suggests she is expecting someone and the large painting of Cupid, the god of erotic love, on the wall behind her may be a signal that she is waiting for her lover. Here, the style of the Cupid painting derives from a book illustration on the theme of faithful love.

Contrastingly, ‘A Young Woman seated at a Virginal’, depicts a woman seated at a keyboard at night. The painting above her refers to flirtation and lust, encouraging us to wonder if the young woman has more than music on her mind.

Learn more about both works here: https://bit.ly/2MrJkRF

What is inside this jar? 😮British painter Joseph Wright ‘of Derby’ was born in 1734. ‘An Experiment on a Bird in the A...
03/09/2026

What is inside this jar? 😮

British painter Joseph Wright ‘of Derby’ was born in 1734. ‘An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump’ is the largest and most dramatic example of Joseph Wright 'of Derby's 'candlelight' paintings from the 1760s. Here, he depicts an audience of men, women, and children gathered around a lecturer to watch an experiment. It is night, and the room is lit by a single candle that burns behind a large, rounded glass containing a diseased human skull.

The candlelight is diffused through the murky liquid and illuminates the faces of the observers. The elderly man on the right contemplates the skull, apparently lost in thought. The skull and candle behind it are emblems of mortality. The painting captures the drama of a staged scientific experiment, but it also functions as a 'vanitas' – a painting concerning the passing of time and the frailty of human life: https://bit.ly/2NTfDay

02/09/2026

Who put lipstick on this tiger? 🐯👀

01/09/2026

Why is ancient Greece's greatest warrior disguised as a woman? 🤔

31/08/2026

Have you ever gone for a walk in a painting?🍃

This Bank Holiday Monday, join Ed for a walk among some of our great landscape paintings.

Can you guess the 'Bigger Picture'? 🤔Find out the answer here: https://bit.ly/4evBK39 The painter of this portrait was b...
30/08/2026

Can you guess the 'Bigger Picture'? 🤔

Find out the answer here: https://bit.ly/4evBK39

The painter of this portrait was born in 1748. A leading painter in France of the Neo-classical movement, he became known for his accomplished portraits. The sitter in this portrait wrote a letter to the artist, thanking him profusely for bringing him to ‘life again on the canvas’.

29/08/2026

The ghost of Napoleon’s rule is hidden in this portrait…👀

French artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres was born in 1780. Join us as we take a closer look at the unexpected detail you can find in his portrait of Monsieur de Norvins.

1) Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, ‘Monsieur de Norvins’, 1811.
2) Emile-Jean-Horace Vernet, ‘The Emperor Napoleon I’, 1815.

What do you get when children creatively respond to a painting by Canaletto? 🤩This weekend is your last chance to see 'T...
28/08/2026

What do you get when children creatively respond to a painting by Canaletto? 🤩

This weekend is your last chance to see 'Take One Picture 2026', a free exhibition of artworks created by primary school children. As part of our annual programme, children from across the UK made artworks inspired by ‘A Regatta on the Grand Canal’, including sculptures, paintings, collages, and textiles works.

Find the free exhibition on display in our Roden Centre for Creative Learning: https://bit.ly/4uqfdLQ

Until 31 August.

1) Animal Figureheads, Cedar Road Primary School, Northampton, ages 6–11.
2) A House of the Future, Mab’s Cross Community Primary School, Wigan, ages 5–6.
3) Regatta Costumes, Park Junior School, Northampton, ages 8–9.
4) Our Own Islands, Hill Top C of E Primary School and Nursery, Bradford, ages 7–8.

Enjoy more time with your much-loved paintings this bank holiday weekend ✨ Over the weekend, the Gallery will remain ope...
28/08/2026

Enjoy more time with your much-loved paintings this bank holiday weekend ✨

Over the weekend, the Gallery will remain open until 7pm, with late opening on Friday until 9pm, giving you more time to enjoy world-class art. See some of our latest loans from George Stubbs’s magnificent ‘Scrub’ to Claude Monet’s ‘Waterlilies’, alongside our latest acquisition from 18th-century artist Angelica Kauffmann.

The Gallery is free for everyone to enjoy, and your support helps us care for the nation’s paintings and make them accessible to the widest possible public. Every donation, no matter the size, makes a big difference. Support our work today: https://bit.ly/2yYyyKP

Address

Trafalgar Square
London
WC2N5DN

Telephone

+442077472885

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when National Gallery posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category