National Gallery
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in Central London. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900.[1]
History[edit | edit source]
By the end of the eighteenth century, many European governments were acquiring art collections and putting them on display in grand museums. King George IV encouraged the British Parliament to buy the residence and collections of John Julius Angerstein, a recently deceased banker and art collector. In 1824, the first National Gallery of England was open, displaying Angerstein's art collection in his residence at Pall Mall.[2]
Far too small to compete with the other museums of Europe, in 1832 the National Gallery moved to the building which it now occupies, off Trafalgar Square. It was designed in a Neo-classical fashion by architect William Wilkins, and its location, equidistant to both the wealthy West End and the lower-class East End, meant that people of all socio-economic backgrounds could access the museum.[2]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑
National Gallery on Wikipedia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Database: National Gallery