This fascinating film surveys the history of the National Gallery, London, from its foundation in 1824 to the opening of the Sainsbury Wing in 1991. Using contributions from art lovers such as Terry Gilliam and Sister Wendy Beckett, archive footage, and readings from the work of Louis MacNeice, Iris Murdoch, and others, this video provides an insight into the Gallery's past and the influence it has had on the lives of its visitors. It then traces the development of the Sainsbury Wing, from the controversial beginnings of the early architectural competitions to the final hanging of the Early Renaissance paintings. Contributors, including the Prince of Wales, architects Robert Venturi and Denise Scott-Brown, the Gallery's director Neil MacGregor, and artist Howard Hodgkin, reveal their reactions to the completed building and their hopes for its impact on London and beyond.
