The National Gallery has announced that more than 4.7 million people saw its paintings in person during its 200th anniversary year, marking a 15% increase from 2023 figures.
The London institution welcomed 3.2 million visitors to its Trafalgar Square home in 2024, with a further 1.5 million engaging with its exhibitions and programmes at venues across the UK and internationally.
These impressive figures come as the Gallery prepares for the culmination of its bicentenary celebrations, including the reopening of the refurbished Sainsbury Wing and the unveiling of its largest-ever collection rehang on 10 May.
Van Gogh Exhibition Makes History
The anniversary year delivered several record-breaking exhibitions, with “Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers” becoming the most successful ticketed exhibition in the Gallery’s history, attracting 334,589 visitors between September 2024 and January 2025.
“The Last Caravaggio” also performed exceptionally well, securing its place as the 11th most-visited exhibition of all time with 286,298 visits.
Over 166,000 people experienced “NG Stories: Making a National Gallery,” an immersive installation documenting the institution’s 200-year evolution from a collection of just 38 paintings to one of the world’s most celebrated art museums.
Sir Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery, said: “The National Gallery continues to build on its founding principles of bringing people and great art together. Through our collection, our exhibitions in London, throughout the UK as well as the hugely popular exhibition tour in Asia – many people have engaged with the Gallery.”
Taking Art to the Nation
In a significant effort to make great art accessible beyond London, the Gallery’s “National Treasures” tour saw 12 masterpieces displayed at venues across the UK between May and September 2024.
The initiative, which ensured more than half of the UK population was within an hour’s journey of a National Gallery painting, attracted 724,812 visits across its regional venues.
A historic three-week display of Claude’s “Seaport with the Embarkation of Saint Ursula” at the Palace of Westminster attracted 39,189 visitors. The painting, one of the first to enter the Gallery’s collection after being purchased by Parliament, was displayed in St Stephen’s Hall to commemorate the Gallery’s parliamentary origins.
The Gallery’s travelling art studio, “The Art Road Trip,” brought creative engagement to communities across Britain and Northern Ireland, with 10,798 people participating in its programmes.
Global Impact
The institution’s international reach expanded dramatically through its Asian exhibition tour, “Masterpieces from the National Gallery,” which recorded 662,068 visits during its 2024 runs at the Hong Kong Palace Museum and Taiwan’s Chimei Museum.
The total attendance for the Asia tour reached 1,443,934 – more than double the number of visitors who attended the Gallery’s previous tours in Japan and Australia.
Digital Transformation
Beyond physical visits, the Gallery has transformed its digital engagement, recording over 159 million virtual visits in 2024 – a remarkable 106% increase from the previous year.
The institution’s social media presence generated 95.8 million video views (up 58% on 2023) and 7.4 million engagements across platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
An innovative “200 Creators Network” giving digital content creators special access to the Gallery’s collection and behind-the-scenes activities generated 39.8 million views and 2.2 million engagements, helping the institution reach new and diverse audiences.
Educational Impact
The Gallery continued its educational mission with 97,172 school students and teachers visiting Trafalgar Square during 2024.
Its annual outdoor festival of art, “Summer on the Square,” incorporating the “Take One Picture” exhibition of artwork created by schoolchildren, attracted 32,743 visits – a 26% increase compared to 2023.
The Articulation Prize, the Gallery’s public speaking competition for 16-19 year olds focused on art appreciation, engaged 40,458 students, teachers, and partners – an increase of 8,418 from the previous year.
Looking Forward
As the National Gallery enters its third century, it continues to expand its reach both physically and digitally. The institution is now preparing for the reopening of its refurbished Sainsbury Wing and the unveiling of “C C Land: The Wonder of Art” – the largest rehang of its collection in history – on 10 May.
Further anniversary activities planned for summer 2025 include the continuation of the Art Road Trip and Jeremy Deller’s installation “The Triumph of Art.”
With its blend of blockbuster exhibitions, national outreach programmes, and digital innovation, the National Gallery appears well-positioned to build on the success of its bicentenary year and continue fulfilling its founding mission of bringing people and great art together.
