NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

In April 1824, the House of Commons purchased the painting collection of banker John Julius Angerstein. The thirty-eight paintings destined to form the nucleus of a new national collection were initially displayed in Angerstein's house at 100 Pall Mall, which was soon deemed too small. The National Gallery moved to Trafalgar Square and opened its doors in 1838. From the outset of the project, the aim was to make these works accessible to as many people as possible, with free admission and a central location. In 1869, architect E.M. Barry took on the project of rebuilding the entire gallery: seven new exhibition rooms were opened in 1867, and the gallery continued to expand, acquiring five new galleries in 1907. The new Sainsbury wing, completed in 1991, showcases the entire Renaissance collection. The National Gallery presents over 2,300 works from the Middle Ages to the ^19th century, with the most recent pieces housed in the Tate. The rooms are organized chronologically, and feature paintings, sculptures and photographs of every iconic figure in English history, from the Middle Ages to the present day, from Henry VIII to Queen Elizabeth II, and from Michael Caine to the Beatles. The tour proceeds from top to bottom, starting with the earliest paintings, from the Tudor period on the second floor. This gallery features portraits of Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth^I and William Shakespeare. Next come portraits from the reigns of the Stuarts and Hanover in the ^17th (Charles ^I, Oliver Cromwell...) and ^18th centuries. The ^19th century also begins on the second floor (Admiral Nelson, William Blake, Jane Austen...) and continues on the second floor, with the Victorian era (Queen Victoria, Charles Dickens, the Brontë sisters...). Then comes the ^20th century (the Royal Family, Virginia Woolf, Winston Churchill...). The balcony gallery features contemporary personalities such as Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John. Other works featuring British personalities since 1900 can be found on the first floor. Last but not least, temporary exhibitions are organized on a regular basis, the program of which can be viewed on the website.

In 2023, the National Portrait Gallery finally reopened its doors after three years of renovation.