Big screen playlist
Big art
An experience of our paintings as never before – magnified to super scale, with large-scale pans that reveal details of the painting surface.
NG Stories: Making a National Gallery
Stories which have shaped the past and present of our 200-year history.
A new home
In the 1830s, architect William Wilkins was chosen to design a permanent home for the National Gallery at the heart of London on Trafalgar Square. His plans were inspired by Ancient Greek architecture. To save money, he was ultimately required to reuse materials, including sculptures for the facade, from other London landmarks.
Safeguarding national treasures
With war looming in 1939, a plan was made to evacuate the National Gallery’s paintings from London. Removed from the threat of air raids in London - the Gallery was bombed nine times between October 1940 and April 1941 - the entire collection was housed safely in an underground home in the caves of Manod Quarry in Wales.
Behind the scenes
What happens behind the closed doors of the National Gallery.
Displaying C C Land: The Wonder of Art
To celebrate the end of our 200th birthday year, we have been working very hard behind the scenes on a major redisplay, presenting the paintings in a new way, through fresh narratives, themed rooms and unexpected pairings across time.
'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' by Paul Delaroche
On display in Room 38
Our art handlers are shown here rehanging Paul Delaroche’s 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' in the Towards Modernism rooms.
'Whistlejacket' by George Stubbs
On display in Room 34
Uncovering the secrets underneath Orazio Gentileschi's 'The Finding of Moses'
On display in Room 31
Slow looking
A closer look at the skills used at the National Gallery to care for its collection.
Uncovering the secrets underneath Orazio Gentileschi's 'The Finding of Moses'
On display in Room 31
Our conservators Kristina Mandy, Silvia Tagliante and Marek Goliaš are shown here restoring Orazio Gentileschi’s 'The Finding of Moses'.
They use small brushes to apply liquid putty to areas where paint and ground layers have been lost. These filled in gaps, replicating the original texture and canvas pattern, help to preserve the painting and blend in with the original surrounding areas.
Conserving Mattia Preti's 'The Marriage of Cana'
Conservator Paul Ackroyd is shown here working on the canvas surface of Mattia Preti’s 'The Marriage at Cana' in the conservation studio.
He is carefully filling losses in the painting and applying texturing to match the original surface. This precise work helps preserve the painting for future generations.
Creating a new frame for 'The San Pier Maggiore Altarpiece'
On display in Room 57