Gallery talks and free tours of the collection are given by the Education Department.
An Introductory Tour, lasting about 50 minutes, covers the Gallery’s highlights. It is offered at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and at 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The Tour of the Week, lasting about 50 minutes, concentrates on a specific topic or on a special exhibition. It is given at 1 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The Painting of the Week, a 15-minute gallery talk on a single picture in the collection, is scheduled at noon and 2 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and at 3:30 and 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Special appointments for groups of 15 or more people can be arranged by applying to the Education Department at least two weeks in advance.
Recorded tours, one offering a selection of the Director’s choice of paintings and another discussing works in various galleries, may be rented for nominal fees.
LECTURES
Lectures by visiting art authorities, and occasionally by members of the Gallery staff, are given at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoons in the Auditorium.
The subjects are often grouped to form a series treating a single aspect of art history. Admission is free and no reservations are required. The A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts, a special series commissioned by the National Gallery, which are subsequently published in book form, take place during the spring.