Visiting the National Gallery in London

From Canaletto to Constable, the National Gallery holds more than 2,300 works of art including some of the great masterpieces of European art such as Botticelli’s Venus and Mars, Monet’s Waterlilies, Renoir’s Boating on the Seine and Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.

The National Gallery is one of the most visited museums in the world and in London only the British Museum receives more visitors.

What to see at the National Gallery

The National Gallery is home to a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the 13th century to the early 20th century. By world standards, it is a relatively small collection but it is of a very high standard and a large portion of the gallery’s collection is on display to the public.

Paintings from the 13th to the 15th century include works by Bellini, Botticelli, Duccio, Dürer, van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Memling and Uccello. Painting from this era mainly had religious themes although portraits and themes from ancient history became more popular in the 15th century. Highlights from this era include Sandro Botticelli’s Venus and Mars.

The 16th century saw the rise of the Renaissance and the gallery’s artworks from this period include works by Bronzino, Bruegel, Cranach, Holbein, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian and Veronese. The museum’s highlights from the 16th century include Titian’s Bacchus and Ariadne.

Bacchus and Ariadne (1520–1523) by Titian — *Bacchus and Ariadne* (1520–1523) by Titian

The gallery’s collection from the 17th century includes works by Caravaggio, Claude, Cuyp, Van Dyck, Poussin, Rembrandt, Rubens, Velàzquez and Vermeer. Highlights from this period include Rubens Samson and Delilah, Claude’s Seaport with the Embarkation of Saint Ursula and Velàzquez’s The Toilet of Venus.

The collection spanning from the 18th to the early 20th century includes works by Canaletto, Cézanne, Constable, Degas, Van Gogh, Goya, Ingres, Monet and Turner. The gallery’s highlights from this period include Seurat’s Bathers at Asnières, van Gogh’s Sunflowers and Turner’s The Fighting Temeraire, which is possibly the most famous painting by an English artist.

The Fighting Temeraire (1839) by Joseph Mallord William Turner — *The Fighting Temeraire* (1839) by Joseph Mallord William Turner

Temporary exhibitions at the National Gallery

In addition to its permanent collection, the National Gallery also hosts a programme of temporary exhibitions. Some of these temporary exhibitions may incur an additional entry fee.

Current and planned exhibitions include:

Siena: The Rise of Painting 1300–1350
This exhibition (until 22 June 2025) explores the transformative period of early 14th-century Siena, where artists like Duccio, Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti brothers pioneered new painting techniques, introducing dramatic emotional expression and dynamic movement to art. The exhibition reunites scenes from Duccio’s Maestà altarpiece and panels from Simone Martini’s Orsini polyptych, alongside other artefacts like illuminated manuscripts and ivory carvings, illustrating Siena’s broad influence across Europe during this vibrant artistic era.

The Carracci Cartoons: Myths in the Making
In 1594, Annibale and Agostino Carracci arrived in Rome to decorate the Farnese Palace. Their commission included the palace’s vast gallery, completed in 1597. The focus of this exhibition (until 6 July 2025) is two large charcoal drawings that reveal their creative process. These preparatory works, known as cartoons, were essential in designing the gallery’s monumental fresco. The drawings depict gods, mythical creatures and waves, influenced by Rome’s antique sculptures and the work of Michelangelo and Raphael. They provide insight into the Carracci brothers’ technique. Free.

José María Velasco: A View of Mexico
Known for his panoramic landscapes of the Valley of Mexico, Velasco’s work reflects his interest in geology, archaeology and local flora. The exhibition (until 17 August 2025) showcases his detailed depictions of Mexico’s evolving landscape, capturing both its natural beauty and the effects of industrialisation.

Millet: Life on the Land
Marking the 150th anniversary of Jean-François Millet’s death, this exhibition (7 August–19 October 2025) showcases some of his most well-known paintings and drawings. Born in Normandy and later settling in Barbizon, Millet depicted the lives of rural workers in 19th-century France. His realistic portrayals of the poor were groundbreaking for their time. See works like L’Angelus (1857–1859) and explore how Millet’s art influenced later artists like Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas and Camille Pissarro.

Radical Harmony: Helene Kröller-Müller’s Neo-Impressionists
Neo-Impressionist artists like Paul Signac, Anna Boch and Henri-Edmond Cross painted with small dots of pure colour. From a distance, the colours blend, creating light and depth. Critics initially saw this technique, later called pointillism, as a challenge to traditional painting. Their work often reflected radical political ideas, capturing late 19th-century European society and the struggles of the working class. This exhibition (13 September 2025–8 February 2026) showcases paintings collected by Helene Kröller-Müller, now housed in the Kröller-Müller Museum in the Netherlands.

Wright of Derby: From the Shadows
Joseph Wright of Derby’s ‘candlelight’ paintings explore light and shadow, creating dramatic scenes of discovery and observation. This exhibition (7 November 2025–10 May 2026) re-examines his work, challenging the view of him as simply a painter of the Enlightenment. Faces illuminated by candlelight gather around scientific instruments, sculptures and other objects, raising moral questions about watching and being watched. His use of darkness and light echoes earlier artists like Caravaggio. With over 20 works, the exhibition considers Wright’s approach and the artistic and scientific developments of his time.