The Gallery is closed for refurbishment but as soon as it reopens, we will put the opening hours here.
The National Portrait Gallery
St Martin's Place,
London, WC2H 0HE
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The National Portrait Gallery, situated just at the back of the National Gallery, was founded in 1856. Before getting to its current building, the collection moved a lot - Westminster, South Kensington, Bethnal Green. The gallery opened in its current building in 1896.
It was established by three men - Philip Stanhope, Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1859) and Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) - after three attempts at the House of Commons.
Originally, it was decided by the Trustees that "No portrait of any person still living, or deceased less than 10 years, shall be admitted by purchase, donation, or bequest, except only in the case of the reigning Sovereign, and of his or her Consort". This rule changed in 1969 in order to encourage a policy of admitting living sitters.
The aim of the gallery is to promote through the medium of portraits the appreciation and understanding of the men and women who have made and are making British history and culture, and ... to promote the appreciation and understanding of portraiture in all media.
It holds the most extensive collection of portraits in the world.
The gallery closed in 2020 for a very important refurbishment project and should reopen in 2023.
Featuring works from the 1950s onwards, this exhibition will explore Francis Bacon’s deep connection to portraiture and how he challenged traditional definitions of the genre. From his responses to portraiture by earlier artists, to large-scale paintings memorialising lost lovers, works from private and public collections will showcase Bacon’s life story.