National Gallery in London (National Gallery). National Gallery of London - paintings

From time immemorial, world art is highly valued by art critics and collectors, and also evokes the constant enthusiasm of ordinary, in fact, people far from art. Agree that it is impossible to pass by the canvases painted by the titanium brushes of the Renaissance or the Impressionists. Even the controversial creations of artists of the twentieth century do not leave indifferent connoisseurs of beauty.

Most of these works are exhibited in art galleries and museums scattered around the globe. One of the most famous is the National Gallery in London, whose building is located in the heart of the city, on Trafalgar Square. Today in its funds are stored, and in the exhibition halls are represented almost 2,5 thousand paintings by artists of Western Europe, created for 7 centuries of the World history - from the XIII to XX centuries. Currently, the London Gallery is one of the best collections of paintings in the world.

About the history of the gallery

At the beginning of the XIX century, three main museums were opened in Great Britain, of which the National Gallery in London was later founded: the British Museum, created in 1753, the Dalijskaya Gallery in Dalij Koljdezh, which has been operating since 1814 and exhibits painting of the 17th-18th centuries. , The Royal Academy, functioning since 1768 as an educational institution and exhibition hall, which did not have its own funds with significant works of art.

It became necessary to create a national collection of works of art, and in 1824 the necessary amount was allocated to organize the museum and purchase a collection of 38 paintings by JJ Angsterstein. Since that moment, the National Gallery (English National Gallery), the location of which became the mansion of Angerstein, located on Pall Mall (English Pall Mall), began to exist. The new museum existed, developed and replenished its funds thanks to purchases and donations from both organizations and ordinary art connoisseurs.

For four years, from 1834 to 1838, a neoclassical building was built, the architect of which was William Wilkins. It was erected in the center of London. National Gallery, a photo of the modern building which can be seen below, has turned into these walls into the largest fount of painting of European artists. But first this area with the museum was shared by the Royal Academy of Arts, which moved from here in 1869. Gradually the collection was replenished, and the museum expanded, which required new buildings, the last of which was completed in 1991.

The First World War did not inflict damage to the building, however during the Second nine air bombs seriously damaged it. Fortunately, all the exhibits were evacuated in advance, and after the war the National Gallery in London was opened for visits.

The whole exposition is built on the basis of a scientific historical display method and all the canvases are placed in chronological order.

Painting of Italy

Most of the collection of the museum is composed of paintings by Italian artists. This is due to the fact that in the XIX century, the then director of the gallery acquired paintings in this country.

The collection includes works by Andrea Mantegna, Piero Della Francesca, Fra Filippo Lippi and Masaccio. Also in the funds are the canvases of Pietro Perugino, Sandro Boticelli, several paintings by Raphael Santi, Michelangelo Buonarroti and Leonardo Da Vinci.

Painting of the 16th century is represented by works of Tintoretto and Giorgione. And the XVII century represent the canvases of Giovanni Batista Tiepolo and Michelangelo da Caravaggio.

Dutch Painting

Among the Dutch artists particularly stands out the work of Jan Van Eyck. Also, the collection has the works of Hans Memling, Hieronymus Bosch, whose main themes are the events described in the pages of the New Testament of the Bible.

Painting of Germany

Among the paintings of German masters, which the National Gallery of London has, paintings by artists of the 16th century: Hans Holbein the Younger, Lucas Cranach the Elder and Albrecht Durer.

Flemish Painting

The paintings of the Flemish belong to the XVII century. These are works by Anthony van Dyck, Peter Paul Rubens.

One of the masterpieces of the collection is the painting "The Lady for the Harpsichord" by Jan Vermeer of Delft.

Also in the collection are the works of Jacob van Ruisdael, Rembrandt Garmens van Rijn and Frans Hals.

Spanish Paintings

Paintings of Spain are the most famous masters of the XVII century: Diego Velasquez, Francisco de Zurbaran, El Greco. Also in the collection are some works by Francisco Goya and two paintings by Bartolome Esteban Murillo.

Painting of France and England

The paintings of French artists are represented in the exhibition gallery from the XVII century. Here, the works of Nicolas Poussin, Claude Lorrain are especially notable.

In addition, the National Gallery in London keeps in its funds paintings of Francois Boucher, Jean-Honore Fragonard, Antoine Watteau, Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin, dating back to the XVIII century.

The collection of 19th-century French paintings in the museum is rich in exhibits: it includes Eugene Delacroix, Jacques-Louis David, and Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres, vivid representatives of impressionism.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a collection of paintings by artists working in this direction was replenished with the works of Eduard Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro.

Henri Russo's painting "The Tiger in a Tropical Storm" became an iconic one, awakening the interest in primitivism in society. The paintings of post-impressionismists Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Paul Cezanne are also represented here.

The Tate Gallery is the repository for the main collection of English painting. Here are paintings by William Hogarth, the first president of the Royal Academy of Arts Joshua Reynolds, as well as landscape painters John Constable, Joseph William Turner.

Next to the National Gallery there is another, no less interesting museum - the National Portrait Gallery. London can not be left without visiting these two places, in one of which European painting is represented, and in the second one there are more than two thousand portraits of significant figures in Britain and the whole world. Some people think that this is the same museum. But this is not so, they are connected only with the word "national" and being in the same place - in the center of London, in Trafalgar Square.