The National Portrait Gallery is a great place to spend an afternoon. It is just before Trafalgar Square and it is near Covent Garden, with many shops and restaurants around it. This is a museum of only British artwork. The main entrance leads to a small flight of stairs. Then go up the escalator to the second floor. From there the portraits go in order from oldest to the most modern art works.


The first portraits were very well done and very realistic. Sometimes it was hard to tell if it was in fact a painting or a photograph. My favorite portrait was of Queen Victoria after her coronation. She was presented with her crown, scepter and a long flowing cape.


The first floor has the same kind of portraits, only more recent than the ones upstairs. This floor has many more busts which are set next to their portraits as well. These rooms are separated by the accomplishments of the person whether they were a scientist or royal. On this floor I liked the wall of busts that were all dukes, princes or famous generals. The busts were done so well that they resembled the person perfectly without a flaw.


Finally was the ground floor which was modern portraits done by students or people of today. These were remarkable paintings. They all looked so realistic that everyone had their noses pressed up the paintings to see if it was actually a painting or not. The portraits were of stars, professors from different colleges, and then a room full of normal people who all had been painted by students. The portraits of the average people were put into an art competition and there were little plaques next to the portraits that won.


I really enjoyed my time here. I definitely suggest spending an afternoon going and looking at the art that is so magnificently done. Check in and find out what I will do tomorrow.