What do the ‘isms’ in painting really mean?

What is a fresco, and what is so special about Leonardo da Vinci? Our four-part course placing National Gallery paintings into their historical and social context will begin in September.

You can dip into the course at any point, so you could come to just one part, or more if you choose. We continue with two more parts in 2010, ending with early 20th-century art.

Image above: Detail from Pontormo, Joseph with Jacob in Egypt, probably 1518