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Destinations · Europe · united kingdom · London · Museums and galleries · Museums

The National Gallery

Author: Anothertravelguide.com0 COMMENTS

The National Gallery located on Trafalgar Square hosts one of the largest collections of Western European art in the world. The beginnings of the gallery can be traced back to April 1824 when the government decided to pay GBP 57 000 for the private picture collection of the banker John Julius Angerstein which formed the base of a new national art collection. Until the current museum building was completed (the plan of constructing it on Trafalgar Square was approved by the Parliament in 1831), paintings were displayed in Angerstein's house in Pall Mall.
The site of the new museum was the subject of endless discussions. Trafalgar Square was chosen as the very centre of London and therefore quite convenient to visit both by the rich from the West End and the poor from the East End of London, making the paintings available to people of all classes.
Today the collection of the National Gallery can be considered not only a depository of unique masterpieces but also an intriguing reflection of the history, religion and myths of Western Europe.

The National Gallery
Trafalgar Square

www.nationalgallery.org.uk

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