In 2024, the National Gallery is marking its 200th year with a 12-month festival of art in celebration. What’s more, much of it is completely free to see. Join in, says Amanda Hodges ▸
“EACH PAINTING DISPLAYED in a gallery and each good book that makes it into a library, no matter how small, serves a great cause: accretion of the national wealth.” Many would echo Chekhov’s admirable sentiments. This guiding philosophy underpinned the creation of London’s National Gallery, first founded in 1824 and now celebrating its bicentenary under director Gabriele Finaldi. The collection may not be gargantuan, but its scope is vast; most major movements from Giotto to Cézanne are represented.
This collection of over two thousand paintings, spanning the principal traditions of Western European art, has always belonged to the government on behalf of the British public and so entry to the main collection remains free of charge. Unusually, the gallery was not formed by nationalising any royal collection, as has often occurred, but initially derived its source from 38 paintings bought from the heirs of businessman John Julius Angerstein in 1824. These included Italian works like Sebastiano del Piombo’s The Raising of Lazarus and fine examples of the Dutch, Flemish and English Schools.
In 1831, Parliament agreed to construct a building for the gallery. Trafalgar Square was chosen, its central location deemed ideal for all sectors of society since the rich could easily drive there in their carriages whilst poorer folk from the East End could make their way over on foot. The new building finally opened in 1838. Many decades later, in a site next to the gallery (vacant since the Second World War) the new Sainsbury Wing opened in 1991 enabling further expansion and displaying the entire early Renaissance collection.
In its first years, the gallery’s administration was haphazard and there was no formal collection policy; with a small staff most duties fell upon the Keeper, with strategic decisions made by a Board of Trustees which unsatisfactorily met only intermittently. But thankfully by 1850 the new post of Director was established, offering the responsibility to shape and manage the growing collection. ▸ Its first incumbent was Sir Charles Lock Eastlake, a close friend of J.M.W. Turner. During his directorship, the gallery acquired over 150 pictures, mainly representing the early and later Itali
