National Gallery

The National Gallery in London is one of the world’s major collections of Western European painting, located on Trafalgar Square and founded in 1824. It houses paintings from the late medieval period through the early 20th century.

The collection includes masterpieces by artists across the European tradition, covering Italian Renaissance, Northern Renaissance, Baroque, Dutch Golden Age and 19th-century schools. Key works by major artists are displayed across the main building and the modern Sainsbury Wing.

The gallery is widely visited for its high concentration of canonical works and its central location on Trafalgar Square. Public programmes include guided tours, lectures and family activities alongside rotating special exhibitions.

The National Gallery was established in 1824 when the government purchased a private collection to create a national public museum of painting; the current building on Trafalgar Square was completed in the 19th century and subsequently expanded. Over the 20th and 21st centuries the gallery added modern wings and conservation facilities to care for and display its holdings.

The museum sits on Trafalgar Square in central London, within the City of Westminster and a short walk from the River Thames and nearby West End neighbourhoods.

• Foundation and collection size: Founded in 1824 with an initial purchase of a private picture collection, the gallery now holds around 2,300 paintings spanning the European tradition up to the early 20th century.
• Admission and tickets: Admission to the permanent collection is free; special exhibitions may require a ticket and the gallery offers timed entry at peak times.

What to See #

• Main building (Trafalgar Square): The main building on Trafalgar Square contains the historic core collection of Western European painting from the 13th to the 19th centuries and is arranged across a series of chronological galleries.
• Sainsbury Wing: The Sainsbury Wing is a modern addition that houses early Renaissance and Italian works and provides an accessible, climate-controlled display environment for key paintings.