The walls in the restricted-access conservation rooms at the very top of the National Gallery, in London, are painted darkest matte black. The inky hue absorbs any reflection from the sunlight that streams in from the skylights, protecting the paintings under restoration. Currently, Rubens’ magnificent The Judgement of Paris, depicting a quasi-goddess-beauty pageant, is being worked on. In the studios sit high-tech equipment and tools – from digital microscopes to macro X-ray fluorescence scanning equipment – but also unframed paintings on wooden easels, brushes and varnishes. “All those things are very recognisable. There’s a continuity,” says Larry Keith, the gallery’s head of conservation and keeper. “If you brought a Renaissance painter into this space, they would feel at home.” Such preservation and protection have been the lifeblood of the gallery for nearly 200 years. 

Rachael Carruthers wears Akris wool Abraham Flower gilet, £795, cashmere/silk jersey turtleneck, £995, and intarsia cashmere Abraham Flower stole (on right shoulder), £3,050. Ilaria Icardi gold Sphere necklace, £11,850
Rachael Carruthers wears Akris wool Abraham Flower gilet, £795, cashmere/silk jersey turtleneck, £995, and intarsia cashmere Abraham Flower stole (on right shoulder), £3,050. Ilaria Icardi gold Sphere necklace, £11,850 © Laurence Ellis
From left: Jordan Whittingham wears Tod’s leather trench, POA. Ulla Johnson satin Amiko dress, £740. Gucci leather sandals, £660. Metal crown, POA, available to rent from Costume Studio. Onyinyechi Chijioke wears Martine Rose wool blazer, POA, cotton-mix military jumper, £878, and cotton-mix trousers, £441. Loro Piana leather Rebecca ballerinas, £620. Chanel metal and resin strass brooches, £2,040 and £1,250
From left: Jordan Whittingham wears Tod’s leather trench, POA. Ulla Johnson satin Amiko dress, £740. Gucci leather sandals, £660. Metal crown, POA, available to rent from Costume Studio. Onyinyechi Chijioke wears Martine Rose wool blazer, POA, cotton-mix military jumper, £878, and cotton-mix trousers, £441. Loro Piana leather Rebecca ballerinas, £620. Chanel metal and resin strass brooches, £2,040 and £1,250 © Laurence Ellis

The Judgement of Paris is just one of the masterpieces under restoration in advance of a complete rehang of the gallery’s permanent collection: its entire inventory is going on display for the first time, arranged thematically. The big reveal will be the culmination of an epic year‑long programme of bicentennial celebrations, which will begin on 10 May 2024, and extensive renovations that “centre around making the gallery more welcoming, more inclusive, and to take it into the future”, says the gallery’s director of development Anh Nguyen, who is at the forefront of a £95mn fundraising drive.

NG200 is the largest ever campaign undertaken by the National Gallery. The visitor spaces are being completely reimagined. The Grade I-listed Sainsbury Wing is being transformed into a more accessible, engaging permanent entrance, foregrounded by a new pedestrianised public area adjacent to Trafalgar Square. An education centre includes an immersive 60sq m creative studio, which will host workshops and events for everyone from toddlers to seniors and groups with special needs; overall it will be able to engage double the number of learning groups annually. There will also be an elegant new members’ house. 

From left: Rachael wears Bottega Veneta leather coat, £6,500, leather Knot dress, £5,000, leather and brushed-metal 3.0 Intreccio clutch, £5,900, and sterling-silver necklace, £6,270. Rejina Pyo leather Lou heels, £426. Gillian Horsup vintage diamanté earrings, £40. Louis wears Giorgio Armani wool jacket, £2,500, silk shirt, £590, cashmere/wool trousers, £2,200, and silk scarf, £390. John Lobb velvet and leather Manchester Derby shoes, £1,650. Gillian Horsup vintage diamanté and black-glass clip earrings (worn as a brooch), £65
From left: Rachael wears Bottega Veneta leather coat, £6,500, leather Knot dress, £5,000, leather and brushed-metal 3.0 Intreccio clutch, £5,900, and sterling-silver necklace, £6,270. Rejina Pyo leather Lou heels, £426. Gillian Horsup vintage diamanté earrings, £40. Louis wears Giorgio Armani wool jacket, £2,500, silk shirt, £590, cashmere/wool trousers, £2,200, and silk scarf, £390. John Lobb velvet and leather Manchester Derby shoes, £1,650. Gillian Horsup vintage diamanté and black-glass clip earrings (worn as a brooch), £65 © Laurence Ellis
The right-hand side of the Wilton diptych, c1395-1399, in which King Richard II is presented to the Virgin and Child (pictured) by Saint John the Baptist. To be displayed in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, from 10 May 2024 in the NG200 National Treasures exhibition
The right-hand side of the Wilton diptych, c1395-1399, in which King Richard II is presented to the Virgin and Child (pictured) by Saint John the Baptist. To be displayed in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, from 10 May 2024 in the NG200 National Treasures exhibition © The National Gallery
From left: Jordan wears Louis Vuitton wool and silk dress, £4,105, leather Bermuda shorts, £1,967, leather Amiral boots, POA, gold and diamond Spirit Radiance earrings, POA, and gold and diamond Star Grace braacelet, POA. Louis wears Stefan Cooke wool crochet aviator jacket, £1,620. Loro Piana cashmere International suit trousers, POA. Canali leather shoes, £450. Ilaria Icardi gold Spaceman necklace, £2,885. Metal crown, POA, available to rent from Costume Studio
From left: Jordan wears Louis Vuitton wool and silk dress, £4,105, leather Bermuda shorts, £1,967, leather Amiral boots, POA, gold and diamond Spirit Radiance earrings, POA, and gold and diamond Star Grace braacelet, POA. Louis wears Stefan Cooke wool crochet aviator jacket, £1,620. Loro Piana cashmere International suit trousers, POA. Canali leather shoes, £450. Ilaria Icardi gold Spaceman necklace, £2,885. Metal crown, POA, available to rent from Costume Studio © Laurence Ellis

Meanwhile, the ambitious programme of bicentennial events is a nationwide proposition. Twelve of the gallery’s most treasured paintings, including Constable’s The Hay Wain and Velázquez’s The Rokeby Venus (assuming it can be repaired after it was recently targeted by Just Stop Oil), will journey to UK galleries to form the cornerstones of exhibitions. Travelling art studios will also tour the country. In London, creative workshops will spill out of the gallery onto Trafalgar Square, working up to a collective performance orchestrated by British conceptual artist Jeremy Deller. 

Corporates, private donors and foundations have already piled in with funds to the tune of £85mn. But £10mn is still desperately needed from the public. “The last stretch is always the hardest,” says Nguyen. “And failure is not an option.”

The nation has form when it comes to preserving this institution. In 1962, 380,000 people in the first month came to see Leonardo da Vinci’s The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and the Infant Saint John the Baptist (sometimes called The Burlington House Cartoon), raising £800,000 – worth more than £21mn today – to save it from a purchase that might have meant it went overseas. “People were literally taping coins to postcards to help save this picture,” says Keith. In a world before corporate donations, “people across the country pitched in because it was the right thing to do. It was important.” 

Onyinyechi wears Roksanda bespoke chiffon Tempana dress, £15,000. Sophie Bille Brahe gold and freshwater-pearl Promenade de Jeanne earrings, £1,650 for pair, and (in right ear) gold and freshwater-pearl Wrapped earring, £1,150. Paper crown hat made by stylist
Onyinyechi wears Roksanda bespoke chiffon Tempana dress, £15,000. Sophie Bille Brahe gold and freshwater-pearl Promenade de Jeanne earrings, £1,650 for pair, and (in right ear) gold and freshwater-pearl Wrapped earring, £1,150. Paper crown hat made by stylist © Laurence Ellis
Back row, from left: Louis Mercurol wears Brioni velvet-silk dinner jacket, £3,810, and wool evening trousers, £1,570. Lemaire silk-mix Angkasapura shirt, £1,390. John Lobb suede Peak boots, £1,400. Tiffany & Co gold and diamond HardWear link bracelet, £22,700. Paper hat made by stylist. Onyinyechi wears Schiaparelli velvet Trompe L’œil Face dress, POA. Bottega Veneta leather Rocket mules, £1,100. Jordan wears Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello chiffon top, £1,130, muslin skirt, £2,175, nylon leggings, £400, leather belt, £405, patent-leather slingbacks, £900, and metal cuff, £850. Dior satin bra, £900. Front row: Rachael wears Simone Rocha nylon-mix crushed cloque top, £695, and nylon-mix crushed cloque mini-kilt, £785. Wolford tights, £50. Erdem leather boots, £875, and cotton, silk and acrylic Flower necklace, £295
Back row, from left: Louis Mercurol wears Brioni velvet-silk dinner jacket, £3,810, and wool evening trousers, £1,570. Lemaire silk-mix Angkasapura shirt, £1,390. John Lobb suede Peak boots, £1,400. Tiffany & Co gold and diamond HardWear link bracelet, £22,700. Paper hat made by stylist. Onyinyechi wears Schiaparelli velvet Trompe L’œil Face dress, POA. Bottega Veneta leather Rocket mules, £1,100. Jordan wears Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello chiffon top, £1,130, muslin skirt, £2,175, nylon leggings, £400, leather belt, £405, patent-leather slingbacks, £900, and metal cuff, £850. Dior satin bra, £900. Front row: Rachael wears Simone Rocha nylon-mix crushed cloque top, £695, and nylon-mix crushed cloque mini-kilt, £785. Wolford tights, £50. Erdem leather boots, £875, and cotton, silk and acrylic Flower necklace, £295 © Laurence Ellis
Onyinyechi wears Martine Rose wool blazer, POA. Louis wears Dunhill cashmere/silk crewneck, £850
Onyinyechi wears Martine Rose wool blazer, POA. Louis wears Dunhill cashmere/silk crewneck, £850 © Laurence Ellis

“The paintings in the [National Gallery’s] collection are the people’s paintings,” stresses Nguyen. Unlike the Louvre in Paris or the Prado in Madrid, the National Gallery’s is not a royal collection or a bequest. It began with the government’s purchase in 1824 of 38 pieces from the collection of ​​businessman John Julius Angerstein, which included European masterworks such as Hogarth’s Marriage A-la-Mode (all six) and Rubens’ The Rape of the Sabine Women. “It was felt that the nation should have a collection,” says the gallery’s research centre manager, Alan Crookham. “It was intended to be democratic in the sense that it was free, that anyone could come in; and to improve our own artistic talent in this country. Public-spirited, high-minded reasons. And those still resonate today.”

The gallery has long held a special place in the UK’s cultural heart. Crookham recounts how, during the second world war, when the paintings were shipped off to a Welsh slate mine for safety, there was a public outcry. A letter to The Times said: “Because London’s face is scarred and bruised these days, we need more than ever to see beautiful things.” Rembrandt’s Portrait of Margaretha de Geer, which had never been shown, was subsequently put on display. Thousands came to see it. The response inspired then-gallery director Kenneth Clark to begin a Picture of the Month installation, choosing Titian’s Noli me Tangere – depicting Mary Magdalene unable to touch Jesus – as its first highlight and igniting a tradition that still exists today.

The Supper at Emmaus, 1601, by Caravaggio. To be displayed at the Ulster Museum, Belfast, from 10 May 2024 as part of the NG200 National Treasures exhibition
The Supper at Emmaus, 1601, by Caravaggio. To be displayed at the Ulster Museum, Belfast, from 10 May 2024 as part of the NG200 National Treasures exhibition © The National Gallery
Clockwise from top left: Louis wears Hermès cashmere Décalcomanie turtleneck, £3,950, and double jersey trousers, £1,100. Dunhill leather Hybrid Derby shoes, £694. Tiffany & Co gold and diamond HardWear bracelet, £22,700. Onyinyechi wears Erdem cotton deconstructed shirt, £695, satin jacquard fil-coupé sleeveless dress, £3,295, and leather boots (just seen), £875. Jordan wears Prada Shetland-wool cardigan, £1,070, and cotton Natte trousers, £1,070. Gucci leather sandals, £660. Ilaria Icardi made-to-order gold ribbed bracelet, POA
Clockwise from top left: Louis wears Hermès cashmere Décalcomanie turtleneck, £3,950, and double jersey trousers, £1,100. Dunhill leather Hybrid Derby shoes, £694. Tiffany & Co gold and diamond HardWear bracelet, £22,700. Onyinyechi wears Erdem cotton deconstructed shirt, £695, satin jacquard fil-coupé sleeveless dress, £3,295, and leather boots (just seen), £875. Jordan wears Prada Shetland-wool cardigan, £1,070, and cotton Natte trousers, £1,070. Gucci leather sandals, £660. Ilaria Icardi made-to-order gold ribbed bracelet, POA © Laurence Ellis
From left: Louis wears Dior Men cashmere cardigan with pearl embroidery, £1,550, cotton poplin shirt, £830, virgin-wool trousers, £1,300, and rubber Carlo Oxford shoes, £1,850. Slim Barrett gold-plated East of Paris tiara, £1,250. Rachael wears Loewe velvet Bustier dress, £3,500, and crushed-velvet Toy pumps (on floor), £1,000. Slim Barrett crystal and silver necklace, £1,200. Gillian Horsup white-metal and diamanté bracelet, £55
From left: Louis wears Dior Men cashmere cardigan with pearl embroidery, £1,550, cotton poplin shirt, £830, virgin-wool trousers, £1,300, and rubber Carlo Oxford shoes, £1,850. Slim Barrett gold-plated East of Paris tiara, £1,250. Rachael wears Loewe velvet Bustier dress, £3,500, and crushed-velvet Toy pumps (on floor), £1,000. Slim Barrett crystal and silver necklace, £1,200. Gillian Horsup white-metal and diamanté bracelet, £55 © Laurence Ellis

“It is one of the most eminent collections in the world, and while national by name, the works within connect us all through the creative impetus to depict the human experience,” says gallerist Thaddaeus Ropac. Many of the artists he represents have spoken at after-hours talks to share how its paintings have influenced them. “It is a source of inspiration that they are quick to acknowledge, and what they are drawn to is borne out in their work in surprising ways. The collection represents the greatest artistic innovations of the past and as such it stands for modernity, the avant-garde. You feel the urgency of each period of art history represented, and we all have visions imprinted in our mind’s eye of works held in the National Gallery that have changed the way we see art.”

From left: Louis wears Canali cashmere-mix corduroy jacket, £1,790, and matching trousers, £780. Ralph Lauren Purple Label cashmere Fair Isle waistcoat, £1,220. Dunhill leather Hybrid Derby shoes, £695. Genevieve Sweeney lambswool cable scarf, £90. Ilaria Icardi gold Spaceman necklace, £2,885. Hermès leather Haut à Corroies large bag, £11,330. Jordan wears Stefan Cooke wool Oak Leaf jumper, £697, and wool scarf, £351. Michael Kors Collection wool flannel trousers, £885, and leather Anabelle sandals, £670
From left: Louis wears Canali cashmere-mix corduroy jacket, £1,790, and matching trousers, £780. Ralph Lauren Purple Label cashmere Fair Isle waistcoat, £1,220. Dunhill leather Hybrid Derby shoes, £695. Genevieve Sweeney lambswool cable scarf, £90. Ilaria Icardi gold Spaceman necklace, £2,885. Hermès leather Haut à Corroies large bag, £11,330. Jordan wears Stefan Cooke wool Oak Leaf jumper, £697, and wool scarf, £351. Michael Kors Collection wool flannel trousers, £885, and leather Anabelle sandals, £670 © Laurence Ellis
From left: Jordan wears Chanel tweed Fantasy dress, POA. Louis wears Tod’s leather overshirt, £3,900. Canali cashmere turtleneck, £725. Ilaria Icardi gold Spaceman necklace (just seen), £2,885. Onyinyechi wears Gucci jersey top, £535, and silk embroidered Habotai skirt, £4,510. Dior satin bra (worn underneath top), £900. Jimmy Choo crystal and leather Saeda pumps, £875. Rachael wears Givenchy silk-mix pearl-embroidered dress, £3,860. Gillian Horsup diamanté bracelet, £65
From left: Jordan wears Chanel tweed Fantasy dress, POA. Louis wears Tod’s leather overshirt, £3,900. Canali cashmere turtleneck, £725. Ilaria Icardi gold Spaceman necklace (just seen), £2,885. Onyinyechi wears Gucci jersey top, £535, and silk embroidered Habotai skirt, £4,510. Dior satin bra (worn underneath top), £900. Jimmy Choo crystal and leather Saeda pumps, £875. Rachael wears Givenchy silk-mix pearl-embroidered dress, £3,860. Gillian Horsup diamanté bracelet, £65 © Laurence Ellis
From left: Rachael wears Dior mohair Check’n’Dior jumper, £1,550, metallised-cotton Dior Roses skirt, £3,500, J’Adior velvet slingbacks, £850, and satin sponge headband, £540. Falke virgin-wool Airport socks, £18. Slim Barrett crystal and silver Regal oval-drop earrings, £1,800. Onyinyechi wears Roksanda bespoke chiffon Tempana dress, £15,000. Erdem leather boots, £875. Sophie Bille Brahe gold and freshwater-pearl Promenade de Jeanne earrings, £1,650 for pair, and (in right ear) gold and freshwater-pearl Wrapped earring, £1,150. Jordan wears Alaïa nylon hooded body-shirt, £1,410, lace skirt, £1,490, and la Cage wedge bootees, £1,410. Gillian Horsup diamanté-stud earrings, £75. Louis wears Officine Générale velvet Giovanni jacket, £575, and wool Nash trousers, £360. Ralph Lauren Purple Label cotton poplin shirt, £550. John Lobb velvet and leather Manchester derby shoes, £1,650. Cartier gold, tsavorite-garnet and onyx Panthère de Cartier pocket gem pin, £7,050
From left: Rachael wears Dior mohair Check’n’Dior jumper, £1,550, metallised-cotton Dior Roses skirt, £3,500, J’Adior velvet slingbacks, £850, and satin sponge headband, £540. Falke virgin-wool Airport socks, £18. Slim Barrett crystal and silver Regal oval-drop earrings, £1,800. Onyinyechi wears Roksanda bespoke chiffon Tempana dress, £15,000. Erdem leather boots, £875. Sophie Bille Brahe gold and freshwater-pearl Promenade de Jeanne earrings, £1,650 for pair, and (in right ear) gold and freshwater-pearl Wrapped earring, £1,150. Jordan wears Alaïa nylon hooded body-shirt, £1,410, lace skirt, £1,490, and la Cage wedge bootees, £1,410. Gillian Horsup diamanté-stud earrings, £75. Louis wears Officine Générale velvet Giovanni jacket, £575, and wool Nash trousers, £360. Ralph Lauren Purple Label cotton poplin shirt, £550. John Lobb velvet and leather Manchester derby shoes, £1,650. Cartier gold, tsavorite-garnet and onyx Panthère de Cartier pocket gem pin, £7,050 © Laurence Ellis

“The National Gallery is the people’s gallery,” concludes Nguyen. Raising the final £10mn is a way not only to ensure the gallery remains so, but that it inspires more people than ever, and in so doing “forges a pathway to being the National Gallery of the future”. 

Models, Jordan Whittingham at Next, Louis Mercurol at Success, Onyinyechi Chijioke at Models and Rachael Carruthers at Storm. Casting, Nachum Shonn. Hair, Takuya Uchiyama. Make-up, Jimmy Owen Jones at Julian Watson Agency using Byredo and Naturium. Photographer’s assistants, Akira Trees, Emma Ercolani and Rami Hassen. Stylist’s assistants, Connie Ng and Rachel Allison. Make-up assistant, Simone Svantnerova. Retouching, Touch Digital. Production, Sophie M Productions. Shot at the National Gallery, London

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