It is the National Gallery's policy to display as many works as possible at any given time, and to avoid having paintings in long-term storage.
If a painting is off show, this is usually because it is in our Conservation Department, or on loan to another institution. Paintings may be displayed as part of a temporary exhibition, or may be in the process of being rehung following exhibition elsewhere. Rooms also occasionally close.
It is possible to telephone the Information Department (020 7747 2885) in advance to check if a particular painting is on display, but paintings are moved every day for the reasons given above - and no painting is guaranteed to be permanently in the same place. On arrival at the Gallery you can check a painting's location at one of the Information Desks.