The National Gallery opening hours get extended for the summer
Late(ish) night art ahead
Bright summer evenings are a basically nature’s antidepressant, and The National Gallery will soon sync up better with them to let you make greater use of the season.
At the moment, The National Gallery closes up at 6pm, bar Fridays. But from 3rd July to 31st August we’ll get an extra hour of art browsing. It will stay open until 7pm Saturday through to Thursday, while the usual 9pm late opening on Friday will remain.
This window, a nod for those without kids, covers almost the entire school Summer holiday period. So if you’d rather avoid those family crowds, think about attending earlier in July ahead of that season.
Last entry is typically 15 minutes before closing, but to even make a dent in the permanent collection without running through its halls you’ll need at least an hour. And as ever, entry to the National Gallery is free.
The National Gallery’s current lone paid exhibition features works from Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán — his first major exhibition in the UK, despite having died well over 350 years ago.
“From the rind of a lemon to the timeless gaze of a saint, he finds an intensity in the ordinary. Strong light and deep shadow bring real faces, soft fabrics, fresh fruit and flowers to life. His paintings unite stillness, focus and faith,” reads the description. This exhibition is on show until 23rd August.
Alongside the permanent collection, which offers a tour through hundreds of years of art and painting history, The National Gallery is also displaying Take One Picture.
This is a freebie exhibit of works by children from 35 UK primary schools. Their brief: make something inspired by Canaletto’s A Regatta on the Grand Canal, an absolutely detail-packed painting that depicts an annual Venice regatta, a painting that is itself part of the gallery’s permanent collection.
The National Gallery memberships that grant you access to as many exhibition visits as you like start at £68 a year.
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