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.

Advanced Collection search

Story: King Edward VI and the Pope

The painting may well have been produced during the reign of Elizabeth I to commemorate the anti-papal policies of Edward VI and to celebrate the successful re-establishment of the Church of England under Elizabeth I.

Please  accept marketing-cookies  to enable this

This complex allegorical painting has been the subject of a complete monograph, ‘The King’s Bedpost’ by the historian Margaret Aston. A video has been made on the recent conservation of the portrait

View the video

Supported browsers

For the best experience we recommend you to use the latest versions of:

  • Edge browser on Microsoft Windows
  • Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari browsers on Microsoft Windows or MAC systems

IMPORTANT: Support for Internet Explorer to access stories experience is retiring

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.

Visit now

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