The Gallery holds the most extensive collection of portraits in the world. Search over 215,000 works, 150,000 of which are illustrated from the 16th Century to the present day.

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Groups

See below for a selection of different artist, sitter and professional groups. Alternatively click on Advanced search to see the full selection with the Groups area.

Artist groups selection

Camden Town Group Neo-Romantics Pop artists Pre-Raphaelites St Ives School School of London Seven and Five Society Surrealists and their circle Vorticists Young British Artists (YBAs)

Sitter groups selection

BAME sitters Bloomsbury Bluestocking circle Chartists Gunpowder plotters Kit-Kat Club LGBT + Lunar Society of Birmingham and their circle Romantic poets Suffragettes and suffragists

Profession selection

Actors and actresses Ballerinas and dancers British Prime Ministers Children’s writers and illustrators Comedians Fashion designers Novelists and authors Rock and pop musicians Poets Scientists

Visit From Your Armchair

Self-portrait as My Father from the series Encounter by Silvia Rosi © Silvia Rosi

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize

An online exhibition celebrating the very best in contemporary portrait photography.

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Hold Still

Hold Still

Explore our community photography project, which presents a personal record of the UK during lockdown.

Explore the exhibition

Margaret Thatcher by Spitting Images Productions Ltd painted plastic, 1985

Sculptures in 360°

See sculptures and fascinating objects from our Collection from all angles.

View the 360s

David Hockney: Drawing from Life

Watch highlights from our special exhibition, which had to close early in March 2020 due to lockdown.

See the video