250th anniversary of American Independence

This day marks the 250th anniversary of ‘The Declaration of Independence’: the moment in history that separated America from being a colony of Britain.

Expert guide Anne Gowan leads a tour of American art references in the collection. From the portrait of Sir Joshua Reynold’s ‘Captain Robert Orme’ – a friend of George Washington, to American artists such as John Singer Sargent’s ‘Lord Ribblesdale’ and George Bellows' ‘Men of the Docks’.

Gowan will also include some of the works acquired by the Gallery which were supported by the American Friends of the National Gallery and Sir Paul Getty in particular, including Holbein's 'Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling (Anne Lovell?)', Caravaggio's 'Boy Bitten by a Lizard', and 'Saint Jerome' by Albrecht Dürer.

After a degree in History of Art and Design, Anne Gowan interned at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and at the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham. Following this she lectured in History of Art and Design to art and design undergraduates at Stourbridge College of Art and Stafford University and worked at West Midlands Arts, the regional base for the Arts Council. Since moving to London over 30 years ago, her career has been in media, although still maintaining her interest in arts with memberships of the main galleries in London. Gowan became a Blue Badge Tourist Guide in 2023 with the ability to translate knowledge and enthusiasm into a descriptive storytelling style for an enjoyable gallery experience.