About this episode
We meet Nicholas Cullinan, leading art historian, curator and current Director of the National Portrait Gallery in London. The new National Portrait Gallery opens its doors to the public on 22nd June 2023. The Gallery is home to the most extensive collection of portraits in the world, from the 8th century. The NPG collection has over 220,000 works, 150,000 of which are illustrated from the 16th century to the present day in a wide variety of different mediums. The National Portrait Gallery tells the story of the people who have shaped British history through the medium of portraits and encourages and promotes portraiture in all media. The Gallery houses the most extensive collection of portraits in the world, which offers unique insights into the men and women who have and who are contributing to the culture, identity and rich diversity of Britain. The Gallery aims to be the foremost centre for the study of and research into portraiture, as well as making its work and activities of interest and accessible to as wide a range of visitors as possible. Founded in 1856 and located just off Trafalgar Square, the National Portrait Gallery is home to the largest collection of portraiture in the world, featuring famous men and women who have helped shape British history from the great Tudor courts to the present day, with contemporary portraits reflecting the diversity, inventiveness and multi-culturalism of modern-day Britain. By weaving together 500 years of history, art, biography and fame, the Gallery offers a unique and fascinating insight into those individuals that together characterise a nation. Visitors can come face to face with kings and queens, courtiers and courtesans, politicians and poets, soldiers and scientists, artists and writers, philosophers and film stars. Its 3,000 paintings feature some of the most iconic and instantly recognisable faces in British history, from Elizabeth I to Tracey Emin, with artists ranging from Holbein to Hockney. Behind each image is a fascinating story giving an insight into an individual who stood out in their generation and enriched our culture and national consciousness. Follow @NationalPortraitGallery Visit: www.npg.org.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.