National Gallery

25/12/2020

🎄 Merry Christmas from all of us at the National Gallery!

Jan Brueghel seems to have squeezed a whole world into his tiny picture. A crowd waits patiently for a turn to come closer to the little child on his mother’s knee. The baby is bare, to show us that he’s a real human baby, but the silvery arrow of light tells us something more. The old man kneeling is a king. He wears no crown and neither do the kings on either side of him. It’s the child that wears the true crown – a delicate halo that would outshine any earthly crown, for it announces him as the Son of God. Brueghel’s delicate picture was made to be handled. It was a talking point but also a reminder of a great religious event. Its owner would have enjoyed the strange mixture of beauty and ugliness that the artist often put into his pictures, bringing everyday people into incidents of great significance: https://bit.ly/37nwqhH

24/12/2020

Divine and earthly light illuminate Geertgen tot Sint Jans's tranquil night-time scene. This painting tells the traditional Christmas story – how Christ was born in a stable, and his mother ‘laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them at the inn’ (Luke 2: 7). The infant Christ, lying in the manger, is watched over by Mary, Joseph and adoring angels, while an ox and donkey peer out of the darkness behind. The Bible goes on to describe how shepherds were watching their flocks at night when ‘an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round them’ (Luke 2: 9). Through the crumbling back wall of the stable we see them, huddled around a fire, their dog beside them. They gaze up in awe at the shining angel. One shields his eyes with his red cloak; another kneels, throwing up his hands in wonder. The divine glow from the Christ Child is a pocket of light in the darkness, creating a sense of intimacy and awe which draws us into the scene: https://bit.ly/3noL2Dm

23/12/2020

Seventeenth-century Dutch winters were notorious for their Arctic cold, with canals and rivers frozen over. In the little town that Hendrick Avercamp takes us to everyone is out on the ice, making the best of it: working, playing, showing off, laughing, complaining, falling over or just about managing to stand up. Boats are frozen in, horses pull sleighs over the ice. The luscious pink castle looks almost like a giant, iced Christmas cake. We look down from a height, so that the view of the town and beyond is wide and open. Each tiny figure is no bigger than a fingernail, yet Avercamp shows their personalities and, even if they have their backs to us, the story they have to tell: https://bit.ly/34m4KVH

22/12/2020

Behind the scenes in Conservation: Cleaning Rubens’s Het Steen | National Gallery

In our latest behind-the-scenes video, find out what Larry Keith discovered when he removed 75 years’ worth of discoloured varnish from Rubens’s 'Het Steen': https://bit.ly/3nwpUv1

This video is with thanks to Nikon, our Digital Content Partner.

21/12/2020

This life-size double portrait shows the youngest sons of the 3rd Duke of Lennox: Lord John Stuart, on the left, with his brother Lord Bernard Stuart. They were only about 17 and 18 but they ooze aristocratic superiority and are dressed in extravagant fashion. Van Dyck’s ability to evoke the textures of silk and satin was one reason his portraits were so popular with the aristocracy at the time. Here he has enhanced the effects further by using the clear lines and muted colours of the background as a foil for the folds and rich colours of the fabrics. He has also evoked a tension in the brothers' relationship. They stand close, their postures overlapping, each with his left hand on his hip and his torso turned towards the other. But their eyes do not meet. One leans back rather passively, while the other, who looks directly us, takes an active step forward, his spurs and sword clearly on display: https://bit.ly/38Zz3HT

20/12/2020

Our 'Artemisia' exhibition might be temporarily closed but you can still order souvenirs from our online shop. Our range includes jewellery from PureJewels by Bhanji Gokaldas, embodying the boundless energy depicted in the art of Artemisia, as well as prints, home furnishings and a 100 piece jigsaw puzzle of Artemisia’s ‘Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria’.
That’s not all, some items from the range are now on sale! Discover new marked-down favourites online: https://bit.ly/3h82ycN
Museums and galleries need your support now more than ever. Every purchase supports the National Gallery.

19/12/2020

Joseph Mallord William Turner died #OnThisDay in 1851. He is perhaps the best-loved English Romantic artist. He became known as 'the painter of light', because of his increasing interest in brilliant colours as the main constituent in his landscapes and seascapes. In 'Rain, Steam, and Speed - The Great Western Railway' a steam engine comes towards us as it crosses the Maidenhead Railway Bridge in the rain. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the bridge was completed in 1838. We are looking east towards London as the train heads to the west. The exaggeratedly abrupt foreshortening of the viaduct, which our eye follows to the horizon, suggests the speed with which the train bursts into view through the rain. Turner lightly brushed in a hare roughly midway along the rail track to represent the speed of the natural world in contrast to the mechanised speed of the engine. The animal is now invisible as the paint has become transparent with age, but it can be seen in an 1859 engraving of the painting: https://bit.ly/2LC9LUj

18/12/2020

Feel the mistral of Southern France in Van Gogh's rhythmic brushstrokes with our 5-minute meditation.

We recommend finding a quiet spot and watching on 'full screen' to get the most out of the experience.

17/12/2020

Dr Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery, says: 'Sin is a deadly serious subject and artists over the centuries have treated it with imagination and inventiveness.'

Addressing the mutable and often ambiguous representation of sin, our fascinating exhibition catalogue ‘Sin: The Art of Transgression’ sheds light on this topic through art from the National Gallery and elsewhere.

Our catalogue is now available at the reduced price of £6.50: https://bit.ly/3nn7dd3

Every purchase supports the National Gallery.

16/12/2020

As a result of London moving into tier 3, we are now temporarily closed. If you have a ticket for an upcoming exhibition or event, you don’t need to do anything, we'll be in touch with you as soon as possible.

The Gallery remains open online 24/7 - bringing the nation’s art to the nation’s homes. From online tours and events to features and videos about our paintings, explore all the ways you can still enjoy the Gallery online: https://bit.ly/3aI7QGU

15/12/2020

Johannes Vermeer died #OnThisDay in 1675. He is one of the great Dutch masters, though only about 35 paintings by him are known, including 'A Young Woman standing at a Virginal'. The young woman at the keyboard holds our eye with a direct gaze. The empty chair suggests she is expecting someone and the large painting of a naked Cupid, the god of erotic love, on the wall behind her may be a signal that she is waiting for her lover. Scenes of music making were a popular genre in seventeenth-century Holland. They were often associated with romantic encounters, sometimes obviously bawdy ones, sometimes apparently innocent. Here, the style of the Cupid painting derives from a book illustration on the theme of faithful love: https://bit.ly/3mhoTWt

14/12/2020

Our #BookoftheMonth for December is '100 Great Paintings', a beautifully illustrated book showcasing 100 masterpieces from the National Gallery. This comprehensive introduction to some of the most inspiring paintings ever made is available in-store and online for £24.99: https://bit.ly/3mbdKH0

13/12/2020

Only 2 days left to order for Christmas delivery for all our UK customers!

Find something truly different this year with our selection of gift ideas inspired by our artists, paintings and exhibitions. Shop gifts for your friends, family or for your own wish list here: https://bit.ly/3lxsgIf

Order before midnight on 15 December to receive your delivery in time for Christmas. For international delivery information, click here: https://bit.ly/36u2nEE

Every purchase supports the National Gallery.

12/12/2020

Come to the Sunley Room and see how children have been inspired by 'Men of the Docks' in our annual 'Take One Picture' exhibition, now open until 31 January 2021. Featuring works by children from 37 different primary schools, the exhibition showcases the richness of children's creative responses to Bellows's painting – from model ships and polluted cityscapes to family interviews and letters home: https://bit.ly/3gzFRwLe
Works shown: 'Our Men of the Docks' by SS Peter and Paul RC Primary School, Tyne and Wear, 'A Sea of Faces' by Stoke Bishop C of E Primary School, Bristol and 'Men of the Docks' Whispers' by Cleveland Road Primary School, Essex.

11/12/2020

Jan Gossaert's 'The Adoration of the Kings' in 10 minutes | National Gallery

Discover hidden details in Jan Gossaert's vibrant 'The Adoration of the Kings' with our Deputy Director, Susan as she takes us on a journey into Gossaert's outstanding interpretation of this Christmas story: https://bit.ly/39Qswj1
This video series is with thanks to Nikon. As we turn to digital ways to look at, use and respond to art, we'll be working with Nikon on a broad schedule of online content and programmes, so stay tuned.

10/12/2020

Letizia Treves and Katy Hessel | Artemisia | National Gallery

Watch as #Artemisia exhibition curator Letizia Treves chats with Katy Hessel (from The Great Women Artists) all about Artemisia Gentileschi's legacy. Learn more about Artemisia Gentileschi here: https://bit.ly/3n8B1Kf

09/12/2020

Take your first step into Jan Gossaert’s world of intricate detail, technical mastery and rich meaning in a new Gallery experience now open in Room 1. In 'The Adoration of the Kings’, Gossaert has compressed time and space into a richly detailed, imagined setting where some elements of this familiar Christian scene are immediately clear and others are hidden for us to discover: the weave of fabric, Gossaert’s fingerprint in the green glaze where he blotted it with his hand, thistles and dead nettles, hairs sprouting from a wart on a cheek, a tiny pearl, a hidden angel...

This is an opportunity to not only stand in front of the painting but immerse yourself in its world and the artistry that built it: https://bit.ly/32h87j7

08/12/2020

Fully indulge in the Christmas spirit with our range of Christmas crackers and accessories! We’ve handpicked a new selection of crafts, treats and games such as the festive ‘Sprout Bingo’ or ‘Learn something new about art’, which will reveal some art facts you have never heard before. Enjoy and share with family and friends! Start shopping: https://bit.ly/39jHfCR
Museums and galleries need your support now more than ever. Thank you

08/12/2020

One painting, many voices: Bellows's 'Men of the Docks' | National Gallery

Can you spot a cupcake, a jazzy jumper, or an orange thingy? See 'Men of the Docks' through the eyes of schoolchildren. Watch the full film here: https://bit.ly/39PKlin
See how they were inspired by the painting in our 'Take One Picture' exhibition in the Sunley Room: https://bit.ly/3gzFRwL

07/12/2020

Artemisia's rape trial | National Gallery

At 17, Artemisia Gentileschi was raped by the painter Agostino Tassi. Learn more about the trial that followed, where Artemisia recounts what happened to her and undergoes torture to test the truth of what she was saying: https://bit.ly/37IV5OE
Book your tickets to the 'show of the season', Members go free: https://bit.ly/3gTXLdk

06/12/2020

Jean-Siméon Chardin died #OnThisDay in 1779. He is renowned for the quiet charm of his carefully constructed genre scenes and still lifes. In 'The House of Cards' a young boy stands at a small wooden table fully absorbed in building a house out of playing cards. He is Jean-Alexandre Le Noir, whose father, Jean-Jacques Le Noir, was a furniture dealer and cabinet-maker, who commissioned several paintings from Chardin. The theme of a child building a house of cards was a familiar one in which the delicately balanced cards represent the fragile nature of human endeavour. Pictures of this subject were often accompanied by moralising verses, as was Chardin’s painting when it was engraved. But there may also be a family connection. As a maker of fine furniture, Monsieur Le Noir may have hoped his son would follow him into the business. The boy’s card building is perhaps not just a game but may also be an exercise in sound methods of construction: https://bit.ly/39mPQVw

05/12/2020

🖅 Have you got your Christmas cards sorted yet?

Send your warmest wishes with our Christmas cards featuring beautiful details of religious paintings and winter scenes. Through your purchase, you not only support the Gallery but can share your kind thoughts with others. Order them here: https://bit.ly/33xrNQh
All our cards have been printed in the UK, on paper from managed forests and other controlled sources. Envelopes are included.

04/12/2020

Picture of the month: Snow Scene at Argenteuil | National Gallery

Monet's scene of a Parisian suburb under snow has been voted your picture of the month. A weak, wintry light casts through thick clouds, as the sun fades from the afternoon sky. Trudging through the snow, two figures meet, and appear to stop and chat awhile: https://bit.ly/39m9vFg
This video is with thanks to Nikon, our Digital Content Partner.

03/12/2020

Pierre-Auguste Renoir died #OnThisDay in 1919. In 'At the Theatre (La Première Sortie)' we seem to be sitting in a box at the theatre with two young women, though we can’t be sure what is going on. We can’t see the stage and one of the women is looking away from us, the back of her bonnet hiding most of the other’s face. This sense of mystery is enhanced by the nearer woman’s pose, leaning forward slightly as though something is absorbing her attention. It may not be the stage performance that has captured her eye: in nineteenth-century Paris, attending the theatre was as much about social status as seeing the show. We get a strong sense of an atmosphere of people-watching in this picture. Among the audience in the background, a man in the lower tier and a woman above him stand out. They seem to have their eyes turned, either on us, the viewer, or on the young woman in the box: https://bit.ly/2DgSn3L
Why not get a reproduction of Renoir’s ‘At the Theatre (La Première Sortie)’ for your home? Order here: https://bit.ly/2Js1xiO

03/12/2020

Last night, we were pleased to welcome our Royal Patron, HRH The Prince of Wales, and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall to the Gallery where they visited our exhibitions 'Artemisia' and 'Titian: Love, Desire, Death', which have now reopened.

02/12/2020

We are now open again with plenty to see and do during your visit.

Catch our five-star exhibitions before they close in the new year. Plus, step into an art-inspired winter wonderland with a special visitor ready to spread some festive cheer. Plan your visit here: https://bit.ly/2rqMKfK

01/12/2020

Artful gifts for friends, family or for your own wish list! Our 2020 Christmas Gift Guide is filled with prints, art books, accessories and homeware, all inspired by Monet, Van Gogh, Bosschaert and more.
Start browsing here: https://bit.ly/3ld775R

30/11/2020

In his later years, Camille Pissarro painted several series of paintings based upon views of Paris. Each series was dedicated to a specific location in the city painted at various times of the day and during different seasons and weather conditions. This wintry scene, probably created in the early months of 1902, is part of a series he painted in his rented apartment at place Dauphine on the Île de la Cité. We are looking directly west along the Seine. The Pont des Arts is in the middle distance and the Louvre is the large building on the right. On the left, Pissarro has included part of the square du Vert-Galant, a small public park named in honour of Henri IV, which contained a nineteenth-century equestrian statue of him. The picture shows Pissarro’s fascination with transient atmospheric effects, but he has contained these within a carefully structured composition: https://bit.ly/39mKVEe

29/11/2020

Giovanni Bellini died #OnThisDay in 1516. He was one of the most influential Venetian artists and he lived and worked in Venice all his life; his career spanned 65 years. He is celebrated for his pioneering portrayal of natural light, seen in works like 'The Agony in the Garden'. Here, Christ’s disciple Judas – visible just beyond the river, leading a group of soldiers to Christ – has betrayed him. Aware of his imminent arrest and death, Christ prays; a cherub appears and presents him with a chalice. The chalice refers to the words of his prayer: ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt’ (Matthew 26: 39). Bellini experiments with the style of his brother-in-law, Andrea Mantegna: the rock forms in the foreground on the left have straight edges and look, like Mantegna’s, as though they have been carved with a chisel. The draperies, too, resemble Mantegna’s in their crisp sharp folds: https://bit.ly/35KwA1X