Step Inside the National Gallery

We begin our tour in the Sainsbury Wing, which houses some of the oldest works in the Gallery. Look around this room, which features Netherlandish paintings dating from 1420-80.

This period marks a technical turning point in European art. Netherlandish pioneers begin to push boundaries which will set the tone for painting for decades to come.

In this room we find works by artists who are creating convincing illusions of reality: playing with the effects of light, the softness and sheen of fabrics, or even the mysterious glint of a piercing gaze.

We now enter a room filled with paintings produced between 1500 and 1600 in Florence and Rome, two of the most vibrant cultural centres of 16th-century Europe.

Paintings from this period are still considered among the most significant in Western European art. Take a look around and explore works of art by Michelangelo, Raphael, Bronzino and Andrea del Sarto.

It's hard to miss Sebastiano del Piombo's monumental work, 'The Raising of Lazarus' . The painting was purchased for the nation back when the Gallery was founded in 1824 - today it is referred to as 'NG1', the first work in the Gallery's inventory.

Moving north into the Baroque Galleries, we enter a room displaying Dutch paintings from 1600-1700. This is one of the most powerfully creative periods in Western art, marked by the birth of entirely new artistic genres.

The types of painting in this room are often referred to as 'realistic'. We see a range of landscapes, cityscapes, architectural views and scenes of everyday life. Have a look around, is there a specific painting that draws you in?

For centuries, artistic training involved studying the work of earlier artists. When considered together, the four works of art displayed here in Room 15 reveal something about how artists might be influenced and inspired by their predecessors.

Here we see Peter Paul Rubens's 'Portrait of Susanna Lunden(?) ('Le Chapeau de Paille')' hung alongside Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun's 'Self Portrait in a Straw Hat'  in Room 15. One of these portraits actually inspired the other – which do you think it is?

In Central Hall, full-length portraits chronicle nearly 400 years of history. Wander the room to witness the transformation of portraiture between 1550 and 1900.

From François-Hubert Drouais's portrait of Madame de Pompadour to Manet's portrait of artist 'Eva Gonzalès' , every detail is carefully chosen and potentially meaningful. Objects may hint at a passion or profession. Clothing might reflect the sitter's social status or character.

We now journey across to the East wing of the Gallery where we find Room 34. Here we encounter paintings that tell the story of British art in the 18th century.

British art changes rapidly during this period. The Society of Artists of Great Britain and the Royal Academy are founded, meaning that artists are able to access professional training and exhibit their works regularly. This results in the emergence of a distinct British style.

Click through the room to explore iconic paintings by artists including Sir Joshua Reynolds, Sir Thomas Lawrence, William Hogarth, George Stubbs and Thomas Gainsborough.

We conclude our tour with a room devoted to a single artist: Claude Monet. His work captures a transformative era of art history stretching from the mid-1800s into the 20th century.

Monet's later paintings were every bit as inventive as those from his younger years. One reason for his late creativity may be that Monet restricted himself to a single subject – the water garden next to his house in Giverny.