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From the very start, the aim of the National Gallery was
to ensure that the widest public possible could enjoy
its collection. When Parliament agreed to pay for the
construction of a new gallery in 1831, there were lengthy
discussions about where the building should be located.
Trafalgar Square was eventually chosen, as it was considered
to be at the very center of the city and therefore accessible
by all classes of London society. Construction began in 1832
and the new gallery was finally completed in 1838.
The building has been enlarged and altered many times as
the National Gallery’s collection grew and today holds over
2,300 works of art. Over six million people visit the Gallery
every year to enjoy works by Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent Van
Gogh and J.M.W. Turner.
The National Gallery
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