The National Gallery was established in April 1824 when the House of Commons agreed to pay £57,000 for the picture collection of the banker John Julius Angerstein. The 38 pictures were intended to form the core of a new national collection, for the enjoyment and education of all. Until a gallery building was constructed, the pictures were displayed at Angerstein's house in Pall Mall.
Since its establishment, the Gallery has been expanding. In 1985 Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover and his brothers The Hon. Simon Sainsbury and Sir Timothy Sainsbury generously agreed to finance the construction of a new wing for the Gallery. A site next to the Gallery had been vacant since the Second World War, when a furniture shop was destroyed by bombing. The new Sainsbury Wing was opened in 1991, to display the entire early Renaissance collection.
In 2004, 4,959,782 people visited the National Gallery, making
this venue very popular.
| Address: | Information Department, The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN |
| Contact: | Tel: +44 (0)20-7747 2885 (including Typetalk), Fax: +44 (0)20 7747 2423, Email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it |
| Nearest Tube Station: | Leicester Square, Charing Cross |
| Buses: | 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 23, 24, 29, 53, 87, 88, 91, 139, 159, 176, 453 |
| Opening Hours: | Daily 10am-6pm, Wednesday 10am-9pm (Closing commences
5 mins before time stated)
Closed 1 January and 24-26
December. Quietest times are early week-day morning and 6-9pm Wednesday |
See National Gallery on map
Useful Links:
- The National Gallery - Official website of The National Gallery.