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The National Gallery-by Mrs. Ellacott-wikipedia commons

1o Interesting Facts about The National Gallery London

For those who love both art and London, you are for sure familiar with the world famous National Gallery in Trafalgar square. It was established in the year 1824 as a response to the increase in art investments by the British government.

It is one of the most famous and popular tourist destinations on the entire planet. The National Gallery’s first building was number 100 Pall Mall (the previous townhouse of the deceased John Julius Angerstein whose estate helped in donating the gallery’s collection. Building on the current gallery began in 1832 and finished in 1838 when it was transferred from Angerstein’s house.

It is ranked 7th for being popular in the whole world. If you want to book a trip and stay in London at one of the top boutique hotels you definitely don’t want to miss a visit to this gallery. Here is a compiled list of some inspiring fun facts about the gallery.

1. The Artistic War effort

During world war 11, there was already a plan in place to relocate the collection from the gallery as early as 1938 to prevent the nation’s artistic treasures from being damaged. After the signing of the Munich Accord, the paintings were transferred back to the gallery from Wales however the war broke out again in 1939 and the paintings were moved once again  10 days before the war was declared.

2Vincent Van Gogh’s famous sunflowers paintings

Vincent Van Gogh sunflowers-by National Gallery-Wikipedia commons

Vincent Van Gogh is, without doubt, one of the most prolific artists to have work displayed in the gallery and has several different pieces decorated on the walls. Sunflowers by Van Goghs remain the center of the entire gallery found in room 43.

He painted the picture in the year 1888 from the subject he was painting. He wanted to use the artwork in the decoration  of his friend’s workshop but it has since become one of the celebrated pieces throughout the word

3. It’s not all paintings

Hungarian National Gallery statue-by Globetrotter-Wikipedia commons

Despite being known most for paintings on your, also on your visit, you will spot some inspiring statues. Inside the gallery, there are some magnificent statues of king James 11 and a little amazingly, the former American president George Washington.

The former American president statue is believed to be a gift from the commonwealth of Virginia to the National Gallery back in 1921. The gallery also houses many collections of the kings of the Roman Empire and  Greek legends.

4. An artistic education

National Gallery encourages learning about art as well as delighting, exciting and inspiring visitors. The Royal Academic of Arts was once housed in the National Gallery building at Trafalgar Square.

The National Gallery continued to be committed to education and makes itself available to students and scholars for research seminars and much more even though the Academy building was relocated to its own building in 1869.

5. Awe-Inspiring Mosaics

When your visit the gallery, the first pieces of art to find would be the mosaics put together by Boris Anrep between 1928 and 1933 in the lobby of the main hall. Boris also added another in1952 representing “the modern virtues” that contained many famous faces, including the likes of Winston Churchill, Greta Gabo, and Virginia Woolf.

6. History of the suffrage movements

Woman Suffrage, Suffragettes with Banners-by Harris and Ewing-Wikipedia commons

In the 1800s, the Women’s suffrage movement took the United Kingdom by storm but unfortunately, the movement leaders were faced with very severe resistance from parliament. Being frustrated some suffragettes expressed themselves through violence and aimed their anger at the system that had held them back for a while.

Their protest got quite serious involving many cases of fire and destruction. The National Gallery was affected when one of the suffragettes Mary Richardson managed to sneak a meat cleaver where she slashed the precious painting Rokeby Venus by painter Diego Valesquez.

7. The Gallery is a true tourist hotspot

National Gallery is with no doubt one of the most loved and visited places in London. When it comes to finding amazing places in London, National Gallery should be at the top of the list.

Estimates show that 5 million people visit this gallery per year meaning in a day it receives over 13 thousand visitors. In the last decade, there has been approximately a 10 percent increase.

8. The famous faces whose artwork Graces the Walls

Leopold Horovitz, painter at work-by Webumenia Sk-Wikipedia commons

The National Gallery contains one of the most famous works in the world by the most celebrated artists, which makes it easier to flashback to the painter’s era.

A look through the walls will reveal work by the likes of Da Vinci, Van  Gogh, Titian, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael, Rembrandt, Monet, Seurat, Caravaggio, Nicolas Poussin, Hans Holbein the Younger, and many others. Get to know more faces by visiting the great meeting places in West End London.

9. Leave your wallet at home

As well as being the place to see some of the best art in the world, it’s also interesting to know it’s totally free to enter. It funds itself mostly from donations, investments, and grants as well as a few other income sources.

It has a vast collection of 300 beautiful and rare pieces that you can see without costing you any money. The first collection purchased for the gallery was paid 57 thousand dollars by the British government which came from Angersteins’s estate.

10. The Gallery is loved now, but it was not always great

The National Gallery was established in 1824 when it was not as large, gorgeous, and spacious as it is now. The original gallery was built to house and had a display of 38 paintings that the government had purchased from the heirs of the London businessman, John Julius Angerstein.

The size of the gallery expanded over the years which lead to the consideration of expanding the grounds. A public disagreement about the buildings and designs occurred in 1869 when designs or rebuilding of the Trafalgar Square building were requested. Architect E.M Barry submitted his drawings and used them for a new building to the National Gallery’s existing building.

The National Gallery houses the nation’s collection of Western European paintings from the the13th to the 20th centuries. Its located in Trafalgar Square in Central London and its open to the public 361 days a year for free.

It represents the greatest Western European painters and no other collection with such compatible quality tells the story of European painting better. Most paintings are on permanent display.