Join me for a National Gallery art tour

From astonishment to anger and rage to ridicule, the artists and paintings in this tour have ignited what must have been the liveliest of discussions. What was so radical about Masaccio? Who was showing off more, Titian or his patron? Why did Turner need to complete his most famous masterpiece so quickly, and if Cezanne had tried a bit harder would his work have caused quite such a row? Charting the course of Western art history with their own unique stories, the conversations surrounding these works have lost none of their allure – especially when mixed with some Beyond the Palette sparkle!

From the vanity of Greek Goddesses to the intelligence and determination of women operating in a man’s world, this tour celebrates the glory, and occasional caprice, of women in art throughout the centuries. We will revel in paintings by the great artistic masters including Velázquez, Rubens, Titian and the fabulous but perhaps less well-known Elizabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, luxuriating in delicious details and saucy scandal as we relish each carefully chosen work.

Enter a world of saints and the occasional sinner. Most art pre-1500 was for the church but, my, was it lavish, fascinating and often gorgeous. Learn to recognise individual saints, understand why Jesus was seldom depicted as cute and rejoice in an abundance of gold. And the sinner? Shall we just say that not all art was religious?

Starting with the genius of Rubens, we will romp through the art of the baroque à la Caravaggio, stopping to admire perhaps the loveliest bottom in the gallery, before dissecting an early selfie and unravelling JMW Turner’s unusual take on an historic event. Like all good stories, this one has a twist at the end that will force us to question everything we’ve learnt about art.

There’s nothing like a good party, and Bacchus has to be the ultimate host, whereas Medusa always reduces even the most raucous gathering to stony silence. Many works in the gallery derive from Greek Mythology, and for centuries the lively narration of stories such as these was the ultimate art form. Expect plenty of drama, passion and the occasional satyr.

Why didn’t western artists really use perspective before the Renaissance era? Why did it become central to the way paintings were produced during and after the Renaissance, and what is perspective anyway? These questions and more are explored through some of the gallery’s most iconic works with wit, humour and a dollop of algebra so tiny as to be almost imperceptible.

From voluptuous goddesses to a cheeky flash of muscular male gluteus maximus, flesh is on display everywhere in the gallery. We will explore the erotic, the confusing and often downright weird offerings that artists have come up with over the centuries, sometimes all within the same picture!

If paintings could throw glitter you’ll be sparkling from head to toe! The flamboyance of St Sebastian finds its match in the outrageous demands of Zeus whilst, ever the saucy provocateur, Caravaggio’s prodigious talent shocks and seduces in equal measure. Sexy, fun and brimming with irreverence, feather boas are optional.