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The British Museum
110 reviews
Neighborhood: Bloomsbury
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Tate Modern
134 reviewsNeighborhood: Southwark
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Westminster Abbey
56 reviewsNeighborhood: Westminster
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National Portrait Gallery
33 reviewsNeighborhood: West End
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Tower Of London
78 reviewsNeighborhood: Wapping
- Nearest Transit:
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Charing Cross (Bakerloo, Northern)
Embankment (Bakerloo, Circle, District, Northern)
Leicester Square (Northern, Piccadilly)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sat-Sun 10:00 - 18:00
Fri 10:00 - 21:00
- Good for Children:
- Yes
63 reviews for National Gallery
All Reviews
Incredible collection of paintings! I enjoyed this single museum's collection more than the British Museum and the Louvre (is it blasphemy to say that?). Works here cover 1250 to 1900, and include renowned artists such as Botticelli, Raphael, Michelangelo, da Vinci, van Gogh, Monet, and Seurat.
A must-see if you're in London, especially since it's free and the crowds aren't as bad here as they are at the British Museum (try going as early in the morning as possible, which might be a rule for all museum-trips in England and France). It's also centrally collected in front of Trafalgar Sq., with the British Museum close by if you'd like to hit up two in one day.
I also highly recommend donating a £1 to get a museum map (plus you help the free museum) because it can be a bit difficult to navigate the maze of rooms (although I enjoyed getting lost in them =) ). I don't think photography is allowed of the artwork, but I'm not sure if this applies to all of the rooms.
Free art! Cute cafe near the online gallery downstairs. Beauty everywhere.
Hours and location easy.
Not one thing wrong with any of it!
a must, just go!
took the docent tour (1 hour) = good
did the highlights audio tour = very good
Great impressionist/ post-impressionist collection. And one word: FREE!
I love detailed Canaletto paintings of Venice, The Bathers by Seurat, and the Renoirs. A Must-Go.
One of the greatest art galleries ever AND it's free? Definitely a stellar combination. I take for granted the fact that I live ten minutes away, but it's definitely a great place if you're looking to check out Van Gogh, Cezanne, Monet, Rembrandt, Michaelangelo (and a million others!) while in town. Also (from my experience) an unbelievably amazing place for a Londoner to spend an hour on a lazy afternoon!
It is one of the world's greatest collections of art and it is free for anyone to see. What else do you really need to say beyond that? It is hours of entertainment and amazement as you go room to room seeing up close and personal hundreds of pieces that you would normally just see in books. The National Gallery was an awe-inspiring experience and all visitor to London should make sure this is on their list of must-dos.
I feel like kind of an art paparazzo...I love seeing super famous works of art (or just works of art done by very famous people) in real life. The National Gallery is, therefore, a pretty great place for me. Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Rubens, Degas, Botticelli...I love it. And even the ones that aren't famous are great to look at.
Maybe this is an odd thing to comment on, but I really appreciated the little plaques next to the paintings. I don't know much (i.e. anything) about art before 1950 or so, but I feel like I might have actually learnt something reading those.
It's yet another museum that deserves more than a single visit. And for once, I didn't find the place super crowded. You should go here.
This museum really requires 2 days to see everything properly. I especially loved the more modern exhibits. Their collection of impressionist paintings is staggering, with dozens of Monet, Cezanne, and Van Gogh pieces.
A must for anyone in London.
What can be said that hasnt already been said? Go, wander, be in the presence of greatness. It is an all-day trip.
The evening charm shows as the Halloween night falls... the music portraits live on Fri evenings are delightful. Imagine the young musicians performing surrounded by classical paintings in various rooms. No wonder Van Gogh says that Shakespeare was the one he connects because his words are so expressive just as his own brush strokes. National Gallery unites artists, musicians, writers, and all the rest of us.
"It is our national gallery!" "It is our national gallery!" Rebecca Drew, the speaker, emphasised several times passionately. Her voice is like sound of music. Velazquez's Rokeby Venus comes live as the curtain opens and the scars are revealed. Patriotic people like Rebecca who has affected the people around her that made the major donations, such as the new Titian acquisition (£15m), possible.
I also appreciate the Mosaics at the Portico entrance. Right underneath our feet, the familiar faces such as Churchill, T.S. Elliot, related to the Bloomsbury group of artists and writers, are not easy to miss. As one walks out in the dark, the Gallery is lit up magically including the two fountains in the front right at the Trafalgar Square. The Picasso's paintings were projected on the building a while back. I stood there for a long time watching the magic.
P.S. My favourite is Holbein's Ambassadors, from vivid memories during the Renaissance Face special exhibition. I decide to skip the current special exhibition, the Sacred Made Real. The exhibition book already made me cry, and I don't think I can afford the real thing. This is how powerful art is.
In a city with great museums, the National Gallery is London's top place to experience art. I hate to knock the Tate, but i am a bigger fan of the Impressionists, so the National Gallery gets my vote. As has been said before, there is a great collection of Van Gogh's, Cezanne's and Monet's. Personally I loved the several Canaletto's because our next stop after London was Venice. Great art in a truly world class museum earns my 5 stars.
As a former art history major, lover of art museums, and generally well-traveled person who has been to most major art galleries in the western world, what I am about to say should not be taken lightly:
The National Gallery is the best museum in the world.
Better than the Louvre?
Oh yes, oh yes. For what it does, the NG is unmatched. And this is what I love most about this museum. It knows what it is, and it embraces this identity and absolutely excels at it.
Never managed to take an art history class at Uni? Oh, not a problem. Just walk around the National Gallery. It's all in there. The history of European art since 1200 is basically summarized for you within the walls of this building, using the best examples of each period. Pretty freaking amazing, if you ask me.
Since it's free, one of my favourite things to do is pop in for 30-40 minutes at a time, and pick a room to really see in detail. The last time I went, I plopped myself down in front of the Tintorettos, and sat there in awe for the better part of an afternoon without moving or speaking to anyone.
Honestly.
One of the selling points for me when we moved to London was the promise that I could visit this museum whenever I wanted, at a moment's notice.
LOVE. IT.
This is one of my favourite museums in London. A huge, sprawling museum right off of Trafalgar Square. I've never been one to sit and stare at the works of art, I'm more like the Griswalds cruising through. But, I love leaning in to look at Van Gogh's brushwork or stepping back to look at the colors Monet uses. They had a really cool Picasso exhibit the last time I was in town, which was great. Expect this place to be very crowded. But, it shouldn't impede your tour through this impressive collection of paintings.
Renoir
Van Gogh
da Vinci
Monet
Michelangelo
Rembrant
Titan
et al.
The National Gallery seems to have a little bit of everything. They don't have extensive collections of any of these artists, but they have little bits from everyone (making it a very completely collection, if not a complete collection of any specific artist).
The building is great as well and the location at Trafalgar square is so central and so alive. The layout inside is fantastic and each room flows so smoothly into the next. Great lighting in all of the rooms and it proved to be an amazing place to spend an afternoon after much walking around in the general vicinity.
And yes, like most museums in London, it's free.
I love this museum. I don't consider myself an "artsy" person, but this place blew me off me feet. The first thing I noticed was the square outside the gallery. There is a large fountain in the middle, where both the people and pigeons gather. The atmosphere is alive and fresh without being too busy, and it is a great photo spot.
The paintings in the gallery are simply gorgeous, and they include works from Van Gogh, Da Vinci, and Monet.
This is definitely one of the best art museums in the world, and I am very eager to revisit on my next trip to London.
Did I mention that admission is FREE?
The National Gallery is well worth a long visit. My mother and I took an entire afternoon snaking through the halls, making sure not to miss a single piece. The space is huge and, while the rooms are not necessarily numbered in an easy-to-follow manner, reasonably navigable with a floor map. The displays are impressive and presented with enough information to teach the average museum-goer a thing or two about art. I especially enjoyed the collection of impressionist paintings.
For my money, I prefer the National Portrait Gallery next door. That isn't a complaint about the National Gallery so much as it is a declaration of my love for the Portrait Gallery. I am glad that I was able to visit both. Besides, the National Gallery didn't take any of my money.
YEAHHHH BOYS AND GIRLS ITS FREE....
The free part appeals to my more Jewish-penny pinching side.... but to perfectly honest this place is awesome... its right off the square... so EASY TO FIND!
They also have exhibits you have to ££pay££ for. When I went with my Mum and Dad a few weeks ago they paid for us to go and see the Annie Leibovitz exhibit which was UTTERLY BREATHTAKING. I highly recommend it if it is still there.
After all our walking we decided to go to the cafe in the Gallery which was also not half bad and really cute... got a pesto pasta salad that HIT THE SPOT mmmm.
When travelling, especially to London where the exchange rate between the GBP and the USD is enough to guarantee that I won't be eating for the next three months thanks to my expensive holiday...anything free is much appreciated.
The great thing about the National Gallery is that not only is it free, but it's pretty flippin' amazing. Be prepare to walk around in awe with all of the original artwork displayed, but the actual gallery and museum space is also super spacious and beautiful as well. I'm definitely glad I had the time to check this out.
I'm also glad that I didn't die while trying to climb a lion statue outside of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square.
Where else can you see Van Gogh, Titian, da Vinci, Monet, Ruebens, Turner, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Goya, etc. for FREE?
Yeah, didn't think so...five stars!!!
I've been coming here since I was really young but I haven't started appreciating it until I was older.
This gallery is so rare because it holds art from famous people like Degas, Monet, Titian, Leonardo and even Vermeer! This place also happens to be home to a piece that I utterly adore and ironically, I can't think of the name. *Frowns* The best part about this place is that it's free. However, there is a donation box which I recommend people to do since a little here and a little there is what keeps it free for the rest of us. :)
There is a cafe for refreshments and a little souvenir shop that you can grab some goodies. You can also take a guided tour which is really nice and quite thorough. When I come here, I usually get off at Embankment and make my way down here. I really recommend this place for all ages. It's such a rare and rich place!
Unbelievably thorough museum featuring all the works that you've seen in junior high history books. The Monets and Van Goghs that you may recognize from, oh, EVERYWHERE, are even more awesome in person.
I've spent hours perusing the rooms, which are organized by time period or artist. The building itself is breathtaking and located conveniently on Trafalgar Square, which is great because after spending 4 hours in relative silence, it's nice to step out and grab a bite by the fountain.
Can you fathom 7 centuries of Western art? The National Gallery houses the most extraordinary collection of Western art anywhere in the world...no collection, in any city, surpasses it. Here you will find the most revered works of Western art from the most revered European painters. It's an art historian's delight and admission is free.
Every major European school is represented from the 13th century up to the early 20th century. The collection is displayed, for the most part, chronologically with the earliest works being housed in the Sainsbury wing, which is just beyond the Italian masters, such as da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Raphael, and Titian. Once you emerge from the Sainsbury wing and continue on in clockwise ambulation around the gallery, you can even marvel at Caravaggio's use of chiaroscuro, Claude's idealised landscapes, Velasquez's attempts to diminish the Hapsburg chin of King Phillip of Spain, and delight in the voluptuousness of Reubens' Biblical beauties. I'm not a lover of the Dutch masters, but there are a great many Rembrandt's, including some self-portraits, a single, lavish Vermeer interior, and more Van Dyks than I care to recount.
Although Tate Britain houses the vast majority of the National Gallery's British art, there are some noteworthy Gainsborough portraits, Constable landscapes, Turner seascapes, and equestrian portraits by Stubbs. As you are leaving the British art and heading into the salon of the French Impressionists, you will encounter a single theme...leisure. This is the theme of most every Impressionist painting, which is why so many of the titles include the word "bathers". The Impressionists are seemingly obsessed with bathing and leisureliness in a variety of settings. Who else, but the French?
How much time you chose to spend in the National Gallery will most likely depend on how much you appreciate art and know the historical context in which it was created. Otherwise, you might just want to breeze through looking at all the famous "poster art" that you recognize. Be forewarned, however. If you possess an intense love of art, you may discover that if you turn around to make certain that you are not inadvertently stepping on the toes of a gallery visitor standing behind you, you could find yourself face to face with Cezanne's 20th century masterpiece Les Grandes Baigneuses somewhat unexpectedly. If you are very much a great lover of art, you could potentially, and rather embarrassingly, burst into tears at the pure shock of having come face to face with it's exquisite beauty. It truly is a sight to behold.
The National Gallery is easy to navigate and logically laid out. I recommend asking for a gallery guide, as they are essentially free, but a donation is requested. The restaurant serves a delicious English breakfast and there is also a casual cafe. I found that the staff in the cloak room were extremely polite even though I was an American abroad during the Bush presidency. I very much appreciated that they didn't throw their shoes at me, although I would have completely understood had they done so.
One last note for those who are visiting London. As you are about to descend the steps of the National Gallery out into Trafalgar Square, take a moment to look at the beautiful view. It makes a pretty nice photo if you can capture Big Ben off in the distance (see photo http://www.yelp.co.uk/...). Also, don't overlook the National Portrait Gallery. It's just down the steps and around the corner, to your left.
I absolutely love museums and it was quite a treat to go to the National Gallery. Although I wasn't able to spend a lot of time here, I definitely see the appeal of it. It has some fabulous pieces of art from different eras. I absolutely adore Impressionist paintings, so I was quite excited to see artworks from Monet and Van Gogh. I'm looking forward to my next trip to London, just for the National Gallery.
my absolute favorite museum on the planet! I have been all over the world and no collection is so complete and so vast! I love art, I love art history and I have always been infatuatted with this place. I could spend every day of my vacation here....(ok maybe I would go to the portrait gallery too!)
make sure you check out:
The Virgin of the Rocks- Leonardo DaVinci
The Water Lily Pond- Claude Monet
Madame Moitessier-Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Sunflowers- Vincent Van Gogh
The Tribute Money- Titian
Portrait of a Young Man- Sandro Botticelli
The Madonna of the Pinks- Raphael Sanzio
Portrait of Pope Julius II-Raphael Sanzio
A Young Woman standing at a Virginal- Johannes Vermer
The Arnolfini Portrait (Marriage)- Jan Van Eyck
A Blonde Woman- Vecchio Palma
and of course,
The Ambassadors- Hans Holbein
there are soooo many more that are important and beautiful, but these are the few that I always make a point to see!
National Gallery is not a museum you can see all in one day - although we sure tried
Wonderful tour of artists through the ages....there is a room / floor for every notable stage in history. It's great to see how styles & subject matter moved throughout the times.....saints, sinners, sickness, battles, still-life, landscapes, Impressionism........
Best advice if you are short on time...... National Gallery also offers this awesome tool called **ArtStart** which is a computer-based tool that either shows you info on all the paintings - or will let you customize your own tour so you can see the paintings you really, really want to see......brilliant!!
Definitely a museum to come back to again & again b/c you'll never see a painting in the same way twice & there are thousands to explore & appreciate
And it's all FREE
Ah, the National Gallery. The first museum I visited on my first trip to the Old World and still one of the most memorable.
I can still picture the large canvases of Seurat's "Bathers", and Monet's typical water lillies. What stood out most in my visit was Rembrandt's portraits and self-portraits. Just looking into the eyes of Rembrandt's figures let you know that the artist had a special insight into the human soul.
And the museum is FREE (or at least it was when I was there many moons ago). Donations are of course welcomed and I did pay what I could at the time.
I've been there two or three times since and the National Gallery is a must-see every time I visit London Town.
After years of being able to appreciate The Ambassadors only from the pages of art history books, it was gratifying to be able to view one of my favorite paintings for several moments in utter tranquility. For me, the National Gallery's collection is masterfully curated, expansive, and filled with inspiration.
Its imposing columns and hardwood floors nurture the memories of notable artists filled with passion, their works compelling the viewer to gasp, to compress the stirring of their souls with the force of the heavens, that this new beauty might await the proper vessel through which to make its glorious manifestation.
Or, you might say I was breathless.
My first time to London and the National Gallery I was an 8th grader and traveled with my family. I will forever thank this Museum for my interest in Art the rest of my life.
I'll never forget how I felt when I saw Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Monet's waterlilies IN PERSON. In class we looked at overheard projector images of theses and now I am looking at the real thing - I couldn't wait to tell my school friends how much different the real thing is: its actual size and the thickness of the paint!
This is truly the best art museum in the world - a diverse collection, FREE admission and of course, a great audio tour in all languages so you can actually learn about all the wonderful things in there instead of just drooling in awe.
Visiting the National Gallery was one of the most inspirational and moving moments of my life. We came wandering in from the square to escape the rain and stayed for several hours.
The first room we walked in sealed the deal for me. My absolute favorite piece of art is Da Vinci's drawing The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist. I had no idea this was in the National Gallery and my jaw hit the floor upon seeing it. The piece is massive and I could have stared at it all day. But there was so much to see and so little time.
Walking through the building you can't help but be awed by the amazing pieces you've only read about. Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Monet's Waterlilies, Degas' Ballet Dancers, Renoir, Cézanne, Raphael, Seurat, for the love of God I could go on for days. This gallery is basically heaven on earth.
Of course there's the obligatory museum shop and by the time you have made it through the gallery you're so high off the art that suddenly all the gifty bits seem practical. Luckily I only had so much room in my bags to carry back souvenirs so I was able to avoid making too many rash purchases.
No way, it's FREE?
Amazing artworks
The artists
'
Lovin' it
Go there early
Arrive before the crowds
Look at the fountain
Look at the building
Enter and be in awe
Relax and enjoy!
You can spend hours here
I adore London and part of my adoration falls at the steps of the National Gallery. It's an absolute MUST for any trip to London! Even if you aren't an art lover (but why aren't you?!), it's FREE and filled with works by some of the most creative minds to ever live, spanning multiple millennia and continents. What else describes a generation or moment in time more than our art?
Enough lectures, now to the main event. It's not as big as you'd expect, as I can buzz through in a couple hours. While I love art, I'm not someone who needs to read the card describing every single piece. As I enter a gallery, I do a once-around look. If something catches my eye, I look closer, I read. If not, I keep moving.
I admit that my first visit to the National Gallery was in '96 with a study abroad program. My crazy and all-together fabulous art history professor highlighted the museum for me. She pointed out things that I'd never had noticed or wouldn't have caught my eye. Such as, The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein, the younger. I never would've given it a second glance, but thanks to my prof I saw the turned skull that would pop if the painting hung over you. Thirteen years later, I return to that painting and still remember the first moment.
I admit to being a cliche. My name is Laura and I love Impressionism. There I said it. I don't care if that's the period that most people, especially women, will cite as their favorite. It doesn't make me enjoy Monet, Renoir, Manet, Degas any less. And yes, I also enjoy Van Gogh, Gaughin and Cezanne. Shoot me. The National Gallery has an amazing collection from these artists---second only to the Musee d'Orsay in Paris in my opinion.
But my favorite piece in the National Gallery might not be expected---The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan Van Eyck. It's fully of such symbolism that every time I see it I flash back to Art Appreciation 101. In my head, it's full of so much subtext that the painting itself should be just as big, but it's not. It's something that could be easy to miss---if the guide didn't make note of it. What I love most about it is that Van Eyck painted himself in the reflection of the mirror---as though it were photograph (which obviously didn't exist then) and then signed right in the center, "Jan Van Eyck was here 1434." Gee, if only I'd known when I wrote that all over crap when I was 13 that I was really just an artist (without artist ability).
If you go to London and don't go to the National Gallery for at least an hour, you are missing out. Remember the magic word, FREE! You'll spend nearly $20 (or more) to visit comparable museums in the US, please take advantage! Don't make me escort you there! On second thought, please have me escort you there. I'll be right with you, give me 9, say 10, hours to fly over from Chicago.
This is my favourite museum in London and what's more, it's free! There is a good variety of paintings from different eras. It is large and never seems to feel overcrowded in the galleries even if the entrance can sometimes be blocked by innumerable numbers of hugs groups of schoolkids!
My personal favourites include the Canaletto paintings of Venice and the countryside scenes by Constable.
It's also well situated with Chinatown, the Thames river and Covent Garden all a short walking distance away for other fun activities. It's also a more pleasant walk there now that the north side of Trafalgar Square has been pedestrianised.
What an amazingly beautiful museum. AND it's free too!
I love that you can spend hour after hour after hour here and still not see everything. It's really fantastic to go to on a hot day because it's air conditioned. I didn't do any sort of tour, just kind of wandered about. Most of the well known paintings would get crowded around very quickly so know that you might have to wait a few minutes to get a good look at Van Gogh's Sunflowers.
Some of these paintings were over 500 years old, and just to be around something like that gives you this amazing feeling.
I especially liked sitting and watching all the school children on field trips and answering questions. They're so adorable. And it made me jealous that I didn't grow up in London and get to go to museums like this.
The National Gallery is just esstential your first time to London. And when I go back I'll definitely go again.
Everyone should visit this gallery at least once in the lives. If you rack your brain and remember those old History classes you used to take at school, you will soon find that all of these paintings will remind you of something. They speak of magical stories such as Ophelia, Narcissus, Venus, and other gods. They also speak of Biblical events, tragedies, royals and wars.
The permanent collection showcases a variety of works from the best painters in the world. With art works from Caravaggio, Rubens, Botticelli, Leonardo Da Vinci, Titian, and Raphael just to name a few, you will not be disappointed. I like to come here and pretend I am traveling around Europe, always thinking of Rome, Florence, Paris, Amsterdam, and Venice.
It also houses an impressive collection of impressionist paintings including the infamous Van Gogh sunflowers and my personal favourite, lots of Monets.
Even if you are not a keen art lover, I highly recommend coming in. I acknowledge that it can be very overwhelming, so when you do feel like a break, the cafe has a great selection of coffee, cakes and snacks.
My only issue with this institution, as with the National Portrait Gallery, is that their website is in need of a serious update and new look. I know that they are both old and established institutions, but both could do better in that department.
Some paintings are so familiar, used in pop art or advertising or on postcards, that people may think that there's no need to make the effort to see the real thing. But they're just plain wrong. Knowing what a painting looks like isn't the same thing as having stood in front of a painting.
The National Galley in London is home to a number of these familiar paintings, Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers', George Seurat's 'Bathers at Asnieres', Velazquez's creamy 'Rokeby Venus', and Botticelli's 'Venus and Mars', and here against the dark red or green walls and shining wood floors they glow with light and depth and colour in a way they just don't seem to be able to replicate on a postcard yet.
The old adage of 'I don't know a lot about art but I know what I like' can be a bit overwhelming here. I like the Impressionists with their soft, muted colours and Turner with his churning seas and all the flesh pinks of the religious and portrait galleries. And I like the faces, caught in timeless expressions from all the way along the scale of human experience, and the abstract works, well some of them anyway. That's the thing with a gallery like this one - because it's free you can easily find yourself popping in to have a look around and each time you'll find something new to stand in front of in awe.
If you're planning a grand tour you can be just as floored by a single painting so you'll have to plan your route or else accept that you're a bit of a leaf in the wind at the mercy of your taste and the gallery layout. Some galleries are busier than others and people still seem to be drawn to the paintings they recognise, but there are lots of quiet corners where you can be alone with your finds.
When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a painter. I checked out a book from my school library that had kid-friendly explanations of famous paintings and their artists, and I painstakingly recreated the works of Cassatt and Van Gogh and Munch. They were put on fridges and I did art in school, but no one ever took the time to give me lessons or foster what was obviously a great passion and talent. For that, I will forever resent my parents. So somewhere between then and now, I stopped painting except for very rarely but I still love it.
So when I came here to see my first Michelangelo, Monet, da Vinci and Rembrandt, I basically lost my mind. I spent hours pouring over every painting, taking in every brush stroke and trying to hide my tears from the other museum-goers. What, you don't cry at museums ?
Then I went downstairs. In the tiniest little room, there was a group of schoolchildren and a docent. They moved to the side and I saw that they were standing in front of van Gogh's Sunflowers. I ran in and stared at that little thing, making no effort to disguise the fact that I was bawling at a stupid painting. I don't even like flowers, but that painting is so iconic if you're an eight-year-old who can think of nothing but paintbrushes and the romantic notion of living life as a painter. I don't think I could breathe right for the rest of the day, just seeing that little painting was more emotion than I could handle.
Rothko down at the Tate ? Don't get me started.
I go here all the time because I pass it whenever I go into town. It's so beautiful on the inside and out that even if you have no interest in art it's worth a stroll around anyway. Another reason I go regularly is that the place is so huge that you couldn't possibly do it all in one day without becoming really uninterested.
To cope with the sheer size of it, I like to go to the Ten Minute Talks that they have every day at 4pm. On the calendar of events you can see what painting will be discussed each day then you go find the room it's in and there an art expert from the gallery will explain who did it and what it's all about in ten minutes. It's a really good way of discovering small sections of the gallery and the talks aren't too intellectual, anyone would enjoy them. What's even better is they're free!
The National Gallery is situated just above Trafalgar Square, therefore immediately attracting many tourists. However, it is just a great day out as it houses one of the best collections of Western European painting probably in the world. If you haven't been and live in or near London, you must. Plus, it's free! My favourite paintings have to be in the more modern collections, there are some Van Goghs and Picassos which must be seen.
It is great just to meander around in a sort of time line of art, you learn a lot and see a lot of paintings which you probably didn't know you knew! At the end of that day, because if you explore the gallery properly it will take you a few hours, pop into the cafe for a cake... pricey but very good.
There are always special exhibitions and events happening, so check the website for up to date information.
The building itself is impressive, and inside is even better. The Van Gogh painting of the chair is probably one of my favorites, since it's one of the first paintings I learned about when I was in elementary school.
Anyways, I also forgot to mention- the museum is FREE!
Its free.... they have incredible works of art there, the elevators worked, and it's easy to tube-in, tube-out from.
You might even catch a side show in the front.... they usually have street talent doing something.
A must add onto any short list of things to see in London
