About
History
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The National Gallery was established by Parliament in 1824 for the benefit of the public. It is one of the world’s foremost arts institutions, housing a historic and distinctive collection of some 2,400 pictures, illuminating a rich history of European art spanning seven centuries, from Duccio to Picasso. Among these are some of the most celebrated paintings in the world: Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait, Leonardo’s Virgin of the Rocks, Titian’s Bacchus and Ariadne, Holbein’s Ambassadors, Velázquez’s ‘Rokeby’ Venus, Caravaggio’s Supper at Emmaus, Turner’s Fighting Temeraire and Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
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The Gallery’s objectives are to preserve the collection by maintaining the highest standards
of care and conservation, to enhance the collection by acquiring great pictures and to display it in a sensitive manner for the enjoyment and understanding of the public. The Gallery undertakes high-level research that it publishes through a variety of media and as a national and international leader in its field it works in partnership with museums and academic institutions in the UK and overseas.
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Structure
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The Gallery has charitable status, and is a non- departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The Director acts as the Accounting Officer.
The Gallery is governed by a Board of Trustees, chaired by Hannah Rothschild. The Board of Trustees of the Gallery holds the pictures in trust on behalf of the nation.
Under the overall leadership of the Director, the Gallery’s staff work across two main areas:
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Chief Operating Officer (Human Resources, Buildings & Facilities, Directors of Finance, Public Programmes and Digital).
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Collections and Research (Art Handling, Conservation, Collections, Curatorial, Framing, Photography, Research and Scientific).
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The Director of Public Programmes and Partnerships covers (Education, Exhibitions, National Programmes and developing partnerships with external bodies).
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The Digital Director is responsible for the Gallery’s digital strategy (including Digital, Information Services, Creative, Press and PR).
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Finances
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The Gallery receives direct funding from Government. For the year ended 31 March 2017, the amount allocated for running costs was £20.4 million. There was an additional grant of £3.7 million restricted to expenditure on capital, including on-going essential capital repairs.
The Gallery has faced significant and sustained cuts to Grant in Aid in real terms over recent years, which has made private income even more critical to the future well-being of the Gallery. The Spending Review settlement has provided a degree of certainty over funding for the five years to 2020–21 and will enable the Gallery to progress with confidence.
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Membership, donations and support from the corporate sector, trusts and foundations, and private individuals are vitally important for the continued success of the Gallery’s programme of exhibitions, education programmes and outreach work.
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Total incoming resources during the most recent financial year, including donations for acquisitions of just over £0.4 million, were £41.2 million compared with £46.4 million in 2015/16 (including £4.8 million for picture acquisitions).
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Self-generated income excluding donations totalled £9.2 million (2015/16: £9.3 million). This figure includes an increase in income from the corporate and individual membership schemes, as well as exceptional levels of exhibition ticketing and sponsorship income.
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Strategic Priorities 2016–2021
Dr Gabriele Finaldi has articulated a new, ambitious vision for the Gallery, clearly identifying its strategic priorities until 2021. Under Dr Finaldi’s leadership, the overarching vision for the Gallery is to make its unique collection of European paintings available to all for research, learning and enjoyment. In order to achieve this, the Gallery has identified six Strategic Priorities that will enable this vision to be brought to life.
To care for and enhance the Collection for the public
The Gallery will continue to protect the collection by maintaining the highest standards of collection care and management, develop new areas of the collection by acquiring preeminent paintings, further relationships with museums and private collectors and rethink the permanent collection display in relation to new developments in the collection.
To be accessible to all
As the Gallery exists for the public benefit, it will continue to maintain and promote free access to the Collection, which will include realizing an ambitious New Digital Strategy, and create an excellent holistic visitor experience. The Gallery will foster and develop relationships with institutions throughout the UK through special displays, exhibitions, sharing of technical, curatorial and conservation expertise.
To inspire research, learning and engagement
In order to achieve this, the Gallery will develop its Research Centre into a powerful generator of research at an international level. It will expand its public reach by providing an Education Programme that engages with children, families, schools, lifelong learning, special needs and outreach, and young adults. Further to this, it will realise an ambitious and attractive programme of temporary exhibitions and work with contemporary artists on projects ranging from residencies to special commissions.
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Read about the Gallery's five-year Strategic Plan for 2018 to 2023 here.
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