4 National Gallery

www.nationalgallery.org.uk

Home to one of the finest and most extensive collections of Western European paintings in the world, the National Gallery houses over 2,300 paintings.

The collection progresses chronologically, with the oldest paintings in the Sainsbury Wing. Among the 13th- to 15th-century masterpieces is Venus and Mars by Botticelli. The Doge by Giovanni Bellini is widely considered the greatest Venetian portrait. Less famous but equally worthwhile are The Wilton Diptych (by an unknown artist), The Battle of San Romano by Uccello, The Baptism of Christ by Piero della Francesca and The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck.

The 16th-century Renaissance masterpieces in the West Wing include The Virgin and Child cartoon by Leonardo da Vinci and the unfinished Entombment by Michelangelo. Two famous mythology paintings are Bacchus and Ariadne by Titian and Allegory with Venus and Cupid by Bronzino. More ‘worldly’ masterpieces include Holbein’s Ambassadors and Pope Julius II by Raphael.

The North Wing deals with the 17th century. Among its 15 or so Rembrandts is the sorrowful Self Portrait at the Age of 63 (that same year he died a pauper). Contrast this with the pompous Equestrian Portrait of Charles I by Van Dyck, and the charming Le Chapeau de Paille (Straw Hat) portrait by Rubens. Young Woman Standing at a Virginal by Vermeer, The Rokeby Venus by Velázquez and Enchanted Castle by Claude are also worth seeking out.

The East Wing (1700–1900) contains a whole host of popular favourites: Sunflowers by Van Gogh; Bathers at Asnières by Seurat; Gare St-Lazare by Monet; and from the British school, The Hay Wain by Constable and FightingTemeraire by Turner.

Map Reference 15J Trafalgar Square 020 7747 2885 Daily 10–6 (Fri until 9). Closed 24–26 Dec, 1 Jan Free Café (£), brasserie (££) Charing Cross, Leicester Square, Embankment 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 23, 24, 29, 53, 77a, 88, 91, 139, 159, 176, 453 Charing Cross