National Gallery in London

The National Gallery is one of London's most significant museums. It has a remarkable collection of paintings spanning the period between 1260 and 1900, with works from virtually all renowned artists of the era.

 At the beginning of the 19th century, king George IV realised that many European cities had opened impressive art museums to the public, such as the Louvre in Paris, the Vatican Museums in Rome and the Uffizi in Florence.

 George IV did not want Britain to be left behind and thus in 1824, he pushed a reluctant government into purchasing the house of the just deceased John Julius Angerstein, a rich Russian banker and art collector. The purchase included a valuable collection of 34 paintings with works from renowned artists such as Rembrandt and Rubens. The works were initially displayed in the banker's residence at Pall Mall.

Over the years, the collection expanded to one of the most prestigious in Europe. Over 2300 paintings are now on display in the monumental building at Trafalgar Square. The neoclassical building that now houses the museum was completed in 1838, after a much-criticised design by English architect William Wilkins. It was built at the then still to be developed Trafalgar Square, which had just been cleared. Plans to replace the building were never realised and in 1876, the museum was expanded with a new east wing. In the mid 1980s, plans for a new expansion were launched, but the modern design faced so much opposition - most notably from the Prince of Wales. Therefore, it was abandoned, and replaced with a more conventional building, known as the Sainsbury wing.

The National Gallery's collection includes European paintings from the 13th to the 19th century. The works are arranged in a more or less chronological order. The museum's main entrance is at the Sainsbury wing, where you'll find the oldest paintings such as works by Giotto and Jan van Eyck. Late Renaissance works from Titian, Michelangelo and others can be found in the West wing. 17th Century paintings from Italy, Flanders, Spain and the Netherlands are displayed in the North wing, and features works from masters such as Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt and Caravaggio. Paintings from the 18th and 19th century are on display in the East wing. Here, you'll find impressionist works as well as paintings by van Gogh, Seurat and Renoir.