The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, central London, founded in 1824 and holding a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. Unlike comparable museums in continental Europe, it was not formed by nationalising an existing royal collection, but came into being when the British government bought 38 paintings from the heirs of John Julius Angerstein in 1824, after which the gallery was shaped mainly by its early directors, especially Charles Lock Eastlake, and by private donations that now account for two-thirds of the collection. The present building, the gallery's third site, was designed by William Wilkins, begun in 1832 and opened to the public in 1838; only its facade onto Trafalgar Square remains essentially unchanged, and the Sainsbury Wing, a 1991 extension by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, is a significant example of Postmodernist architecture in Britain.
Facts
Year Created LocationTrafalgar Square, City of Westminster, central London, England 1 Architectural StyleClassical (Wilkins's 1830s building); a 1991 Postmodernist extension, the Sainsbury Wing 1 Building Type Commissioned ByThe British government, following its 1824 purchase of the John Julius Angerstein collection 1 Construction Current UseArt museum; national collection held in trust for the British public 1 Visitor AccessEntry to the main collection is free of charge 1 In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. National Gallery, London (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIntroduction
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England.
Introduction, building history
The present building, the third site to house the National Gallery, was designed by William Wilkins. Building began in 1832 and it opened to the public in 1838.
Introduction, Sainsbury Wing
The Sainsbury Wing, a 1991 extension to the west by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, is a significant example of Postmodernist architecture in Britain.
Introduction, founding purchase
It came into being when the British government bought 38 paintings from the heirs of John Julius Angerstein in 1824.
Introduction, free entry
Its collection is held in trust by the charity on behalf of the British public, and entry to the main collection is free of charge.
Genre reference
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, central London, founded in 1824 and holding a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900.
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