The National Gallery is a museum you definitely must visit, especially if you are visiting London for the first time. It is located on the north side of Trafalgar Square, and is one of the most important art museums in London, and one of the most famous museums in the world.
The National Gallery was established in 1824, when the British government bought around 30 pieces of art, mostly paintings, from a banker called John Angerstein. The development and growth of the museum happened very quickly, and it now houses around 2300 pieces of art, most of which were actually donated by Britain’s notable people. Due to the quick pace at which the growth of its collection went at, the National Gallery moved three times, and is currently situated in a building on the Trafalgar Square which was designed by William Wilkins.
It is important to note that the collection of the National Gallery spans the period between 13th and 20th century, including works by Europe’s most famous painters such as Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Titian, Monet, Michelangelo and many more. If you want to see the entire gallery with all of its rooms, you will need a full day to do so. Visitors will be able to acquaint themselves with European art ranging from renaissance to impressionist art. The Gallery is generally smaller than most famous museums such as the Hermitage or the Louvre, and it only houses paintings.
Of course, visitors can stay for a couple of hours in order to get to know European art in general.
Admission to the National Gallery is FREE
Working hours of the National Gallery
The museum is open every day from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
On Fridays, the museum is open until 9:00 pm
The museum is closed on December 24 and 26 and January 1
