About Research

The Gallery is a pre-eminent centre for the research of European painting from the 13th to the early 20th centuries. Even so, there are things that remain to be discovered about the pictures in our collection – even the best known.

We continue to investigate:

• How, why, when, where and by whom the paintings were made
• Who commissioned and collected them
• How they were used
• What they mean.

This in-depth examination of the pictures in our care means that the information about them remains up-to-date and available to the public.

The Gallery has pioneered and maintains a tradition of scholarly collaboration between dedicated teams of curators, scientists, conservators and archivists. Our collection catalogues are internationally recognised as setting the standard for such publications.

Scholarly articles specifically devoted to the scientific study of pictures are published in the National Gallery Technical Bulletin, now in its 36th year.

We see ourselves at the heart of a thriving community of art historians. By forging links with other organisations, we seek to support and advance excellence in the research of European painting, both nationally and internationally.

The Gallery’s own scholarship is enriched by our relationship with academics from other institutions, whether working as guest curators for our exhibitions or presenting papers in our active programme of conferences and seminars, some of which are jointly organised with external partners.

The National Gallery is recognised as an Independent Research Organisation by the Arts and Humanities Research Council [external link] and by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council  [external link].