National Gallery Company - A nobleman kissing a lady's hand

The Necromancer

Three versions of this subject are known, including one in the Hermitage, St Petersburg. It is not known which of the three was the one exhibited at the Salon of 1775.

A Little Girl with a Basket of Cherries

The sitter has not been identified, but her dress dates the portrait to the 1570s.

Saints Jerome and John the Baptist

This picture and 'Pope Gregory the Great (?) and Matthias' are two sides of a single panel that was divided in two.

Portrait of a Woman

The costume and hairstyle suggest a date of about 1650. However, the use of the niche to frame a portrait head was unusual in the Southern Netherlands in the 17th century and it is possible that the picture dates after 1700.

Fishermen hauling a Net

This painting is a companion piece to another painting by van Goyen, also in the National Gallery's Collection: 'A River Scene, with a Hut on an Island'. In the centre of the landscape in the far distance is a windmill and on the right, a church.

Self Portrait

The portrait is signed and inscribed on the cartouche on the ledge.

The Haarlem Lock, Amsterdam

The Haarlem Lock ('Haarlemmersluis') and the Herring-Packers' Tower ('Haaringpakkerstoren') are seen from the west side of the Singel Canal, at its junction with the Brouwersgracht. None of the buildings shown has survived.

Still Life with Apples and a Pomegranate

Courbet was involved with the Paris Commune of 1871 and after its collapse he was tried and imprisoned in the Sainte-Pelagie prison.

Venice: The Giudecca with the Zitelle Print

Beyond Venice's Grand Canal, bustling with gondolas and sailing boats, is the church of Santa Maria della Presentazione. Better known as the Zitelle, it was originally attached to a foundling hospital for girls and was built in the 16th century.

Venice: The Punta della Dogana

This scene shows the entrance to the Grand Canal with the Dogana da Mar, the Customs House of Venice, built by Benoni about 1677. On top of the gateway is a golden ball, with a weather vane representing Fame.

Colonel Tarleton Print

Create your own bespoke print of Sir Joshua Reynolds’s Colonel Tarleton from our collection. About this painting Colonel Tarleton, 1782 © The National Gallery, London This painting joined our collection in 1951 With our custom print service, you can order your own fully customised reproduction from the National Gallery Collection and exhibitions.

Christ healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda Print

The subject is from the New Testament (John 5). The pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem was periodically visited by an angel, and whoever first stepped into the water after this visit would be cured of illness.

The Adoration of the Name of Jesus

Christ is shown holding the banner of the Resurrection. He is surrounded by choirs of angels; Saint Michael is identifiable at the left of the third row on the right.

The Dream of Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph, Christ's earthly father, has a dream telling him that Mary's child is from God. New Testament (Matthew 1: 18ff.

The Church at Arbonne

An inscription on fragments of paper on the reverse of this painting suggests the site is near Fontainebleau, but the exact location has not yet been identified.

The Valley of the Dee, with Chester in the Distance

The view is downstream from the village of Holt in Denbighshire, North Wales. The towers of Chester Cathedral and St John's Church are just visible in the background.

An Old Man in an Armchair

An elderly man is portrayed seated, wearing a fur robe, and gazing downwards in contemplation. The composition and technique are reminiscent of Venetian portraiture, particularly that of Tintoretto.

Cavalry making a Sortie from a Fort on a Hill

This painting is one of the largest battle paintings by Wouwermans and one of his few dated works. The scene seems to be entirely imaginary as neither the colours of the troops nor the buildings point to any particular historical event.

Mercury stealing the Herds of Admetus

Apollo is apparently guarding the herd of Admetus. (Ovid, 'Metamorphoses', 2).

The Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane

Christ kneels in the centre; at the upper left an angel appears to him with a cup, a reference to his forthcoming Passion.

Apollo killing the Cyclops

For the subject of this fresco (now transferred to canvas mounted on board) see Apollodorus, 'Library' (3: 10). Apollo slew the one-eyed race of giants, the Cyclops, because they had provided Zeus with the thunderbolts which killed his son, Aesculapius.

The Judgement of Midas

Apollo and Pan had a musical contest. Midas chose Pan as the victor, and Apollo punished Midas by giving him ass's ears.

Apollo and Neptune advising Laomedon

Apollo and Neptune disguised themselves as mortals and helped build the city of Troy. When Laomedon refused to pay them the agreed price the gods took revenge by bringing a series of disasters upon the city.

The Flaying of Marsyas

For the subject see Ovid, 'Metamorphoses' (6). Apollo defeated the satyr Marsyas in a musical competition; as a punishment for failure, Apollo flayed him.

Apollo pursuing Daphne

For the subject see Ovid, 'Metamorphoses' (1). Daphne, pursued by Apollo, cries for help to her father, the river God Peneus.

The Transformation of Cyparissus

For the subject of this fresco (now transferred to canvas mounted on board) see Ovid, 'Metamorphoses' (10).

Apollo slaying Coronis

Coronis, loved by Apollo, was unfaithful to the god. Apollo's bird, the raven, revealed her infidelity to him and Apollo thereupon slew her.

Saint Paul preaching at Ephesus

During Saint Paul's mission to Ephesus (in modern Turkey), he succeeded in converting many of the city's inhabitants to Christianity, and some who had previously 'used curious arts' publicly burnt their books and manuscripts.

The Martyrdom of Saint Januarius

Saint Januarius, Bishop of Benevento and patron of Naples, was beheaded near Pozzuoli about AD 305. The executioner stands behind the saint and an angel descends with a palm of martyrdom.

Landscape with Tobias and the Angel

Tobias Tobias was sent to a distant city by his blind father Tobit to collect a debt. While carrying out his errand he was escorted by the Archangel Raphael.

The Finding of Moses

According to the Old Testament story (Exodus 2: 5), the infant Moses was hidden by his mother in a reed basket on the River Nile to save him from Pharaoh's order that all male children should be killed.

The Conversion of Saint Paul

The painting is unusual, though by no means unique, as a Dutch painting of the later 17th century representing a dramatic religious theme.

Portrait of Govaert van Surpele (?) and his Wife

Govaert van Surpele (1593 - 1674) was a native of Diest in South Brabant, where he held the post of President de la Loi in 1636/7, as well as being a member of three local militia companies.

Il Tramonto (The Sunset)

It is likely that the foreground figures shown in this picture are Saint Roch and his attendant Gothardus, who tended the ulcer on Saint Roch's thigh.

Allegory of Grammar

This is probably one of a series of half-length female figures of the seven Liberal Arts which once belonged to Gedeon Tallemant (1613 - 1668), apparently painted for his house in the Rue d'Angoumois, Paris.

A Personification of Fame

The painting is a relatively late work, probably from the early years of Strozzi's Venetian period, about 1635-6. It is a far from idealised study of a girl in a darkened setting, equipped with the wings that Fame traditionally possesses.

Laundresses by a Stream

Beach Scene, Trouville

The painting shows groups of holiday makers taking the air at the beach. The artist worked a great deal on the Normandy coast, especially at the fashionable resorts of Trouville and Deauville.

L'Hôpital-Camfrout, Brittany

L'Hopital-Camfrout is a small market town near Plougastel in western Brittany. Boudin visited this area on several occasions in the early 1870s.

Jason swearing Eternal Affection to Medea

According to Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' (Book VII), Jason was sent to steal the Golden Fleece from Colchis and was aided by Medea, daughter of the king of Colchis and a sorceress, whom he married but later deserted.