In our series of top London sites, this week JiaJun visits the National Gallery.

“Here you are, National Gallery” I have been waiting for this moment for a long time and finally, I can see your real face! Painting is a kind of art and can also be a form of entertainment if you really like it! Today is a good time to experience the real western style of painting! Let’s enjoy it together!

The National Gallery, which was founded in London in 1824, holds the British national collection of art. The entrance fee has remained free until today! Most of the collections are Western European paintings dating from 1250 onwards.

My first impression was the building – magnificent: old style, but not in a way that make you feel old. In front of the National Gallery is Trafalgar Square which is another beautiful view to add to your sightseeings! It is a wonderful place to relax after a whole week’s intense working or studying, isn’t it?

I started from room 2 -14 which holds the paintings dating from 1500 to 1600. The Virgin of the Rocks painted by Leonardo da Vinci, The Ambassadors painted by Holbein, The Entombment painted by Michelangelo, The Madonna of the Pinks by Raphael, and The Adoration of the Kings by Gossaert are all the paintings from this period. Although magnificent, these paintings were difficult to appreciate for a student like me because I don’t have enough knowledge about paintings! So, I went to room 15 – 37, and in this room, each painting has a story behind it which is very attractive to people who are interested in ancient lives! There is one painting which I would like to talk about here is Mr and Mrs Andrews painted by Gainsborough. Mr and Mrs Andrews sit under a tree and they are looking at somewhere very quietly! The cloudy weather set against the beautiful landscape, created this famous painting!

One picture which I like a lot is the Sunflowers painted by a very famous Dutch painter – Van Gogh. It is not a normal sunflower like in real life; in this painting, there are many sunflowers with only the upper part of them placed in a flower bottle. I will say that it is for decorating the environment!

Rooms 33 – 39 are the rooms that hold the paintings dating from 1700 – 1900. These are the most recent paintings collected by the National Gallery and they are also the ones that are probably most appreciated by normal people like you and me! Some examples I recommend you to have a look are Madame de Pompadour by Drouais, The Stonemason’s Yard by Canaletto, The Fighting Temeraire, and Whistlejacket by Stubbs.

The opening hours are 10am to 5pm everyday, on Wednesday, it opens until 10pm. If you want more info, please visit the National Gallery website.  If you are looking for an English course in London that takes you to the National Gallery check out English Language Cultural Experience course.