National Gallery, London
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The National Gallery in London houses one of the world's finest collections of Western European painting, with over 2,300 works spanning from the mid-13th century to 1900. Located in the iconic neoclassical building on Trafalgar Square, the museum was founded in 1824 and attracts millions of visitors annually. The gallery's most controversial piece for ancient astronaut theorists is Leonardo da Vinci's "The Virgin of the Rocks" (c. 1491-1508), which depicts the apocryphal meeting between the infant Jesus and John the Baptist in a mysterious rocky grotto. The painting measures approximately 189.5 cm × 120 cm and represents one of Leonardo's most enigmatic religious works.
Timeline
National Gallery founded with initial collection of 38 paintings
Leonardo da Vinci creates the London version of The Virgin of the Rocks
Gallery moves to its current location at Trafalgar Square
Sainsbury Wing opens to house early Renaissance collection
What the Show Claims
- ›Leonardo deliberately transposed the protective roles of Jesus and John the Baptist in The Virgin of the Rocks, encoding forbidden knowledge about their true identitiesS13E02
- ›The archangel Uriel in the painting represents a celestial or extraterrestrial being, with otherworldly features and gestures pointing to hidden meaningsS13E02
- ›The mysterious cavern setting represents an otherworldly realm or interdimensional space rather than earthly geographyS13E02
Theorist Takes
“It's almost like it's just coming out of the wall and you're stepping into it.”
From the Transcripts
“In March 2018, author and researcher William Henry traveled to the outskirts of London. There he met with da Vinci expert Lynn Picknett in order to get her thoughts on this unique work of art.”
What Archaeology Says
While the National Gallery itself is not an archaeological site, the provenance and analysis of Leonardo's "The Virgin of the Rocks" has involved extensive art historical research and scientific examination. The painting exists in two versions, with the earlier version (c. 1483-1486) housed in the Louvre and the later London version created between 1491-1508. Technical analysis using X-rays and infrared reflectography has revealed Leonardo's working methods and compositional changes.
Art historians have extensively studied the unusual iconography of the painting, particularly the ambiguous identification of the two infants and the enigmatic pointing gesture of the angel Uriel. Mainstream scholarship attributes these elements to Leonardo's familiarity with apocryphal Christian texts, particularly the Protoevangelium of James, which describes the meeting of the infant Christ and John the Baptist during the flight into Egypt. The rocky grotto setting reflects Leonardo's geological interests and his studies of natural formations.
The scientific consensus views the painting's mysterious elements as products of Renaissance artistic innovation and Leonardo's deep engagement with both Christian theology and natural philosophy. His notebooks reveal extensive studies of rock formations, water flow, and atmospheric effects that directly influenced the painting's ethereal landscape. The angel's pointing gesture and the complex interplay of glances between the figures represent sophisticated Renaissance symbolism rather than encoded extraterrestrial messages.
What remains genuinely intriguing is Leonardo's motivation for creating two distinct versions of the composition and the specific theological or philosophical program he intended to convey. Some aspects of the painting's symbolism continue to generate scholarly debate, though within the framework of Renaissance art and Christian iconography rather than ancient astronaut theories.
Mysteries & Fun Facts
The National Gallery's collection began with just 38 paintings purchased by the British government in 1824
Leonardo's Virgin of the Rocks is one of fewer than 15 paintings definitively attributed to the master
The gallery survived the London Blitz during World War II by storing its masterpieces in underground quarries and tube stations
Current director Gabriele Finaldi previously worked at the Prado Museum in Madrid
Planning a Visit
The National Gallery is freely accessible to the public year-round, located prominently on Trafalgar Square in central London. Visitors can view The Virgin of the Rocks along with masterpieces by Van Gogh, Turner, and other European masters. The museum offers free admission to its permanent collection, though special exhibitions may require tickets.
Central London (the gallery is located in the heart of the city)
Weekday mornings typically offer the most peaceful viewing experience, while evenings on Fridays (when the gallery stays open later) provide a more intimate atmosphere. Winter months see fewer tourists, allowing for closer examination of Leonardo's enigmatic masterpiece.
Related Sites
Royal Society, London
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Cambridge University
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Historical data sourced from Wikipedia