Masters of light and dark

The interplay of light and shadow has fascinated artists for centuries, inspiring some of the most celebrated works in art history.

Join Tim Maddison for an illuminating tour of the Gallery’s masterpieces that capture the sublime, the mysterious, and the unknown through light and dark.

Highlights include iconic works such as Leonardo da Vinci's The Virgin of the Rocks and Caravaggio's The Supper at Emmaus, alongside lesser-known gems that reveal the profound power of this artistic theme.

After the tour, we welcome you to Supporters’ House where you can reflect and discuss with others.

Tim Maddison is an accredited expert guide. Maddison completed the Sotheby's Works of Art Course after university, before spending the next five years working at Sotheby's and Phillips Bond Street, surrounded by an ever-changing carousel of treasures. This embedded a love for works of art, exhibitions and galleries in him. Maddison then went on to work as a dealer in vintage film posters, Americana and Art Deco, before opening London's first public gallery for vintage film and music posters. In his youth his favourite painting at the National Gallery was, 'The Family of Darius before Alexander', and he never imagined that decades later he would have the privilege of sharing its delights and that of so many other favourites with visitors.