National Gallery
The National Gallery (National Gallery in Spanish) is the most important art museum in the city of London. It is located right in Trafalgar Square and you can delight yourself with some pictures of great quality and beauty.
Origin and history of the National Gallery
The National Gallery begins in the year 1824, just when the British state itself is made with a collection of 38 super important paintings that were purchased from the banker John Julius Angerstein.
From there, the gallery continued its growth and today you can find more than 2,000 different paintings, most of them acquired as a donation.
However, we must mention the fact that, over time, the National Gallery has varied its accommodation being present in up to three different buildings. This is so due to the fact that the immediately previous accommodations did not meet the objectives of the exhibition, hence the current building has undergone expansion works by different architects.
What to see in the National Gallery
The facade of the gallery already promises because it recalls a Roman pantheon in every rule and that is why you will see many tourists taking pictures at the entrance. Once inside you can see works by such important authors as Van Gogh, Tiziano or Velázquez.
The history of western painting is reflected in the set of works exhibited in this gallery-museum. The most outstanding works that you can see, analyze and admire are:
- Vase with Three Sunflowers (Van Gogh)
- The Virgin of the Rocks (Leonardo Da Vinci)
- Venus of the Mirror (Diego Velázquez)
- Santa Margarita (Francisco de Zurbarán)
- Rain, steam and speed. The Great Western Railway (JMWTurner)
Obviously, there are many more and, in fact, once you access the gallery the artist stops importing because you immerse yourself in each painting, which is more real, and even if you have no idea of ​​painting you can appreciate the quality and what Hide each face of each one of them.
Guided tour, the best option
So that you do not wander around the halls of the National Gallery, the best thing to do is to let you take in expert hands and let a professional guide delight you with the stories behind each artist. This guided tour lasts 2 hours and you will discover the best works of the museum. If you are passionate about this museum, for an approximate price of € 75.
Location, timetables and price
As we have already mentioned, the National Gallery is located in Trafalgar Square and the nearest metro station is Charing Cross.
Given its location in the center of London, you can take the opportunity to visit the Chinatown neighborhood, do some shopping in Piccadilly Circus or complement it with a visit to the National Portrait Gallery.
Admission to the museum is free and can be visited every day from 10 am to 6 pm, although on Fridays it is open until 9 pm.
