National Gallery catalogues

Scholarly research into our collection, and bringing the results of that research to a wider public, lie at the heart of the National Gallery’s role

The Gallery is undertaking a long-term cataloguing programme in which curators, scientists and conservators systematically re-examine every painting, using the latest scientific methods. This research is being published in book form in a series of collection catalogues generously supported by the Arthur and Holly Magill Foundation.

The Gallery is now also making selected entries from new catalogues available online, in advance of publication and free of charge.

Read online extracts from National Gallery catalogues

New title

‘The Eighteenth Century French Paintings’ by Humphrey Wine

The National Gallery’s collection of eighteenth-century French paintings was last catalogued over sixty years ago. Since then it has been transformed both in size and quality by the addition of works by Danloux, David, Fragonard, Peyron, Subleyras and Vernet, among others. The collection, including Boucher, Chardin and Watteau, now encompasses the work of over 30 artists. Taking account of recent scholarship and undertaking new research, Humphrey Wine has looked afresh at these paintings, expanding on their provenance, in many cases incorporating information on their political and social context and fleshing out the lives of identified sitters. New information based on re-examination of each picture is combined with technical photographs and comparative illustrations. The introductory essay considers the attitude of eighteenth-century Britons to the French and to paintings by French contemporaries and notes many of the French eighteenth-century paintings then passing through London’s salerooms.

New research on the provenance of a number of the paintings can be read in an appendix to the catalogue, Former Owners of the Eighteenth-Century French Paintings in the National Gallery.

Forthcoming titles

'The German Paintings before 1800’ by Susan Foister
Read the catalogue entries on nine paintings by Cranach from ‘The German Paintings before 1800’ by Susan Foister, published on the Gallery website in advance of book publication. Susan Foister is Deputy Director, Director of Public Engagement and Curator of Early Netherlandish, German, and British Paintings.

Titles already published in the new series of National Gallery catalogues

'The Nineteenth Century Paintings, Volume I' by Sarah Herring
Read some of the research on Corot's paintings. The information on Corot's paintings was researched and written by Sarah Herring, Assistant Curator of 19th Century Paintings at the National Gallery.
‘The Sixteenth Century Italian Paintings Volume III: Bologna and Ferrara’ by Nicholas Penny and Giorgia Mancini
‘The Fifteenth Century Netherlandish Paintings’ by Lorne Campbell.
‘The Sixteenth Century Netherlandish Paintings with French Paintings before 1600’ by Lorne Campbell
Read the entries on Jan Gossaert (Jean Gossart).
‘The British Paintings‘ by Judy Egerton.
‘The Fifteenth Century Italian Paintings Volume I’ by Dillian Gordon.
'The Italian Paintings before 1400' by Dillian Gordon.
Read about the catalogue.
‘The Sixteenth Century Italian Paintings Volume I: Bergamo, Brescia and Cremona’ by Nicholas Penny.
‘The Sixteenth Century Italian Paintings Volume II: Venice 1540–1600’ by Nicholas Penny.
‘The Seventeenth Century French Paintings’ by Humphrey Wine.