Image credit: Mike Quinn / Wikimedia Commons / Geograph Britain and Ireland · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 2013-05-29 ↗
Boris Anrep’s Mosaics
Trafalgar Square · Trafalgar Square → Strand → Somerset House → Temple · Hidden art / mosaic floor / famous faces
Story
Thousands of visitors enter the National Gallery every day and, unknowingly, walk over a significant work of art. This does not hang on a wall, but spreads across the floor of what was once the main entrance and the vestibules of the Main Hall. Between 1928 and 1952, Russian-born artist Boris Anrep created a series of mosaics here, celebrating the labours, pleasures, muses, and virtues of modern life. These mosaics invite close observation, a reward for those who pause to look down. The surprising element of these works lies in their subjects. Anrep did not use anonymous figures or classical deities, but rather prominent people from his own era. Thus, Greta Garbo is transformed into Melpomene, the Muse of Tragedy; Virginia Woolf embodies Clio, the Muse of History; Winston Churchill represents Defiance; Margot Fonteyn is Delectation, and Bertrand Russell, Lucidity. Even the critic Clive Bell appears immortalised as Bacchus. As the Gallery’s current main entrance is the Sainsbury Wing, you will not find the mosaics immediately upon entering. To discover them, enter via the Sainsbury Wing, go up to Level 2, and head towards the Portico Entrance, which is the old main entrance. Once there, you will do something unusual in a picture gallery: stop looking at the walls for a moment and direct your attention to the floor.
What to look for
Look for "The Awakening of the Muses" as a starting point, then enjoy identifying the faces of famous figures such as Virginia Woolf, Greta Garbo, Winston Churchill, Margot Fonteyn, and Bertrand Russell.
Secret detail
Despite being some of the most modern permanent artworks integrated into the National Gallery building, their floor location means countless visitors walk over them without recognising them as an intentional and valuable part of the collection.
Where exactly
The current main entrance is the Sainsbury Wing. Inside, go to Level 2 and head towards the Portico Entrance and the old Entrance Hall; the mosaics are on the floor in these areas.
Orientation
Once in the old Entrance Hall, look down and explore the different mosaic pavements.
Why it matters
These mosaics demonstrate how public art can integrate contemporary figures into a classical context, offering a unique insight into the personalities Anrep considered representative of his era's culture and values, all within an unexpected space.
Access & opening
Current Gallery hours: daily 10:00–18:00; Friday until 21:00. Current main entrance is Sainsbury Wing.
General admission free; special exhibitions may charge
We never show live status. Check opening hours before you go.
Accessibility
Sainsbury Wing is step-free; lifts give access to Level 2.