It’s 1874 and Claude Monet has just showcased a painting in Paris called ‘Impression Sunrise’ was it applauded? No.  

The story of the impressionists involves sheer determination and perseverance and is enough to make anyone who questions whether they are doing the right thing to ask whether it makes them happy, if the answer is yes, keep going - you could start a movement. In this guided tour, Emily Dell will look at artists, such as Degas and Renoir who caused quite a storm in the art world with their innovative style and different way of painting. But don’t be deceived by the first date mentioned, as the story of the impressionists may well start much earlier. 

Your host: Emily Dell is an accredited tour guide who has worked in the tourism industry for 16 years. She has always adored telling stories and describing a moment gone by. When Dell is not guiding, you can often find her with a pen in hand, sketching the fascinating places across the City or selling her work at Portobello Road Market. Follow Emily Dell @sketch_history

To mark the year of the 750th anniversary of Amsterdam, join Muriel Carré to rediscover one of the most creative periods of Western art through our rich collection of 17th-century Dutch paintings. The birth of a new country, the awakening of a national consciousness, a booming economy and an aggressive world expansion all contributed to an unprecedented flourishing of the arts. Portraits, landscapes, seascapes, still lifes, genre scenes… artists, patrons and collectors could have it all. This tour highlights the extraordinary period of creativity and inventiveness of the time. 

Your host: Muriel Carré is an award-winning guide specialising in art and architecture. Muriel studied English Literature and History at Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris, followed by a Master's degree in Art History at Christie's, London. Alongside teaching English Literature in France and abroad, Muriel has worked for a contemporary art online magazine in Madrid. Muriel now leads tours in English and French in all the major London museums and historic houses.

Expert guide, Sarah Ciacci leads a walking tour with a focus on portraiture; on how this genre of art has evolved and is depicted in the collection. There’s a huge variety of portraits in the National Gallery and they all want to convince us of the beauty of the sitter, or their wealth, their virtue, their learning, and much more. The tour will search for some of these people and interrogate what it is the subject wants us to think about them, how the artist flattered them, and then find out whether their portraits match their characters. 

Your host: Sarah Ciacci has an MA in late 19th-century French painting and 20th-century abstract art from University College, London. Qualifying as a Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London in 2008, Sarah has been a National Gallery guide ever since.  

Sarah runs tours for My Kids, taught Art History for a decade at Richmond University, and is a Gallery Educator and an Accredited Lecturer for the Arts Society.