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National Portrait Gallery

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The National Portrait Gallery was founded in 1856 to collect the likenesses of famous British men and women. Today the collection is the most comprehensive of its kind in the world.

The National Portrait Gallery's collection includes: the most influential characters in British history portrayed by the finest artists of their generation; some 10,000 items in our Primary Collection, with a further 300,000 in the archive; works by Holbein, Van Dyck & Reynolds, through Gainsborough, Millais & Tissot, to Cecil Beaton, David Bailey & Patrick Heron; paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings and photographs; demonstrations of the history of British portraiture from its beginning, through the contortions of caricature and the crisis caused by the advent of photography, to the edge of abstraction.

Sculpture Touch Trail A dozen sculptures, from Lord Byron to Sally Gunnell, form a sculpture touch trail. Details are provided at the Information Desk.

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Criteria
Satirical Prints and Caricatures
Early Photographs
Primary Collection Purpose
Photographs Collection
Primary Collection
Archive Collection of Prints and Drawings
Early 20th Century Photo's
Stunning Views
Foundation
Photo 20
Purpose of Archive
Cecil Beaton and Contemporary Photographers
The National Portrait Gallery

Details

Restaurant/Bar: The National Portrait Gallery's roof-top restaurant boasts spectacular views over London, and has quickly established itself as one of the capital's most sought after dining areas, set 92 feet above ground level on the fifth floor of the Gallery. Diners can enjoy an unparalleled vista of Nelson in Trafalgar Square and across Whitehall to the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye.
Info for Disabled: All areas of the National Portrait Gallery are accessible to visitors using wheelchairs or with mobility difficulties including the Ondaatje Wing Theatre, IT Gallery, The Portrait Restaurant, the Gift Shop, Book Shop, the Portrait Café and the Cloakroom facilities which are directly accessible by lifts. Please note that the Royal Landing is only accessible via a manual stair-climber.