London National Gallery
The London National Gallery is one of London's most popular tourist attractions. The early nineteenth century saw a dramatic increase in the production of art in Britain. In response to this demand, a gallery was founded and built in Trafalgar Square in London; it contains more than 2 thousand examples of painting.
Gallery history
When London's National Gallery was founded in 1824, it was not the large, magnificent house it is today. Unlike its current version, the original building was built to house and display 38 paintings that the government acquired from the heirs of London businessman John Julius Angerstein. Over the years, the size of the collection has increased, and it became necessary to consider expanding the territory.
Victim of vandalism
The women's suffrage movement took the United Kingdom by storm in the late 1800s. The leaders of the movement faced very tough resistance from parliament for a long time. The protests were quite serious, including numerous arson and vandalism. London's National Gallery was not spared because one of the suffragettes, Mary Richardson, managed to smuggle a meat cleaver into the grounds. In an act of vandalism, she cut off the precious painting "Rokeby Venus" by artist Diego Valesquez.
The greatest images
London's National Gallery houses some of the most famous paintings by the greatest artists of all time. Their exhibits include works by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Monet, Leonardo da Vinci, Picasso, Raphael, Seurat, Van Gogh, Caravaggio, Hans Holbein the Younger, Botticelli, Nicolas Poussin and many other painting legends. Among them are some of the most famous oil paintings: “Madonna of the Rocks”, “Portrait of a Man”, “Hay Wagon”, “Van Gogh’s Chair” and many others.
Sculptures of kings
As well as paintings, London's National Gallery is also home to many fabulous sculptures. There is a magnificently carved sculpture of the first US President George Washington, donated by the Commonwealth of Virginia for the National Gallery in 1921, along with a statue of King James II, who ruled England, Scotland and Ireland. From 1685-1688 This place also houses many statues of kings and legends of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.
London's National Gallery is exempt from paying taxes as a charity and non-departmental public organization of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Its collection is held by the government on behalf of the British public, and entry into the main collection is free.
