News History of Art Students Study Italian Renaissance Masterpieces at the National Gallery 26.06.2026

At the end of term, the Lower Sixth A Level and IB Diploma History of Art students braved the heatwave for a short journey across London to spend four very pleasant hours in the very cool National Gallery. Aside from the gallery’s air conditioning, the Lower Sixth also enjoyed studying a host of Italian Renaissance masterpieces, attending to aspects of these that can only be appreciated fully in front of the physical artworks. They inspected and discussed the reflection of gold leaf on giant trecento altarpieces, the impact of chiaroscuro and perspective in the works of Masaccio and Piero della Francesca, Botticelli’s mythological iconography and Leonardo’s magical use of sfumato. After a refreshing visit to the cafe, we fast-forwarded through art history to appreciate the visual and cultural significance of Turner’s late paintings of the industrial revolution. All students participated fully, maintaining their enthusiasm and interrogating every artwork fruitfully while accompanying teachers provided fresh perspectives on the artworks.