In the centre of London, behind marble pillars and an imposing but impressive structure sits an ever expansive collection of over two thousand and three hundred works which span from the 13th Century through to early 20th Century paintings.
On teal walls and those with sheets of wallpaper hang a collection of works on barely there pins and wire. Visitors sit for hours on the benches, shifting from room to room to view the folds in robes adorned on figureheads and to observe the rolling mountains in backgrounds painted in oil bases.
Notable artists include Georges Seurat, Henri Rousseau, Hans Holbein, Paul Cezanne, Claude Monet, Rembrandt and Vincent Van Gogh. You can borrow an audio guide from the main foyer in order to enrich your experience - of which provides another layer of history and information supporting the art hanging on the walls.
It's a place to reflect on artworks where colours and tones are layered with hard work, colour and presence. With free admission and extended opening hours it is hard to pass up the opportunity to waste the day away in each of the rooms of The National.