10 Spots to Admire Art in London


 

Like any major metropolitan city, London is teeming with museums and art galleries. There truly isn’t a shortage of art that you can find in London!

When I started doing my research for this article, and racking my brain for places that I personally love, I realized that this list could be so much longer than just 10 locations! So, bear with me if I missed one of your favorite spots.

If you’re in London and you’d like to admire some art, keep reading for my 10 favorite spots!

1. Tate Modern

Tate modern

The Tate Modern Museum in London by Hans Peter Schaefer – WikiCommons

The Tate Modern may have opened in 2000, but it quickly became a vital part of London life today. This museum welcomes over 5 million visitors per year, and showcases the best in modern and contemporary art.

Their collection is a melting pot of different nationalities, with art by creators hailing from over 50 different countries, coming together within the Tate Modern. The museum’s curators have also made it a point to have equal representation: 50% of the art being from male artists, and 50% from female. I love this initiative!

Practical Information:
Entry fee: Free entry, but some special exhibits may not be free. Visit the website below for more information.
Opening hours: Sunday-Thursday 10am-6pm, Friday-Saturday 10am-10pm
Address: Bankside, London SE1 9TG, United Kingdom
Tube station: Southwark / Black Friars / St Paul’s
WEBSITE

2. Tate Britain

Tate Britain

The Tate Britain Museum in London by Tony Hisgett – WikiCommons

The Tate Britain has been around for a bit longer than it’s Modern counterpart. You’ll notice that the building is much more classically designed than the Tate Modern as well, but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t any less interesting!

The collection includes works by famous British artists such as Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and John Constable. Don’t miss the Clore Gallery (my personal favorite), and from September-January, the Turner Prize exhibition!

Today, the museum is undergoing a facelift – one that will take up to 20 years to complete. It’s called the Millbank Project, and it aims to maintain the buildings original architectural features while also updating the gallery spaces and opening up some brand new areas. Stay tuned!

Practical Information:
Entry fee: Free entry, but some special exhibits may not be free. Visit the website below for more information.
Opening hours: Every day 10am-6pm
Address: Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P 4RG, United Kingdom
Tube station: Pimlico / OVauxhall / Westminster
WEBSITE

3. The Wallace Collection

Wallace

The Large Drawing Room inside the Wallace Collection by Megan Eaves – Flickr

The Wallace Collection should be your go to if you’re more interested in classic art than modern! The museum is in a 18th century house, and in addition to housing many paintings and other artworks, it is decorated with 18th century French antiques and furnishings!

The Wallace Collection has been open to the public since 1900, after the owners of the home, the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, had passed on. Here, you’ll find pieces by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Franz Hale and Titian. Their most well known piece is “The Swing” by Fragonard!

Bonus if you have children: there is a section of the museum that is dedicated to the little ones! Here your children can even try on a suit of armour! In addition, they also have a special event so that kids can wander the halls of the Wallace Collection, and an event where children can learn different art techniques from actual artists!

Practical Information:
Entry fee: Free entry
Opening hours: Every day 10am-5pm
Address: Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN, United Kingdom
Tube station: Bond Street / Baker Street / Oxford Circle
WEBSITE

4. Victoria & Albert Museum

V&A

Victoria and Albert Museum, London by Christine Matthews – geograph.org.uk

The Victoria & Albert museum, otherwise known simply as the V&A, is one of London’s most impressive museums. In her last public engagement in 1899, Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone, and it opened to the public in 1909!

The museum is massive, boasting 7 floors filled with paintings, sculptures, furniture, ceramics, jewellery and more! One of the most impressive pieces in the museum are the “Raphael Cartoons,” which were painted in 1515, and were destined to become the tapestry designs for the Sistine Chapel.

Don’t miss the Fashion galleries, the Architecture gallery, and their photography collection, too!

Practical Information:
Entry fee: Free entry
Opening hours: Every day 10am-5:45pm, Friday 10am-10pm
Address: Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL, United Kingdom
Tube station: South Kensington / Gloucester Road
WEBSITE

5. National Gallery

NG

The impressive façade of the National Gallery by
Diego Delso – WikiCommons

The National Gallery is arguably the most impressive museum in London, if not all of Europe! But, unlike it’s counterparts like the Louvre, the National Gallery is free!

The museum opened in 1824 as an initiative to bring art to the masses. It was a hit, and the museum was quickly moved to a central location in 1838 in Trafalgar Square, so that all Londoners could easily access it.

Their collection includes works from Van Gogh, Cézanne, and more. This museum also puts on events for children, with art workshops and free guided tours available on Sundays and during the holidays. I love these initiatives to get children more interested in art!

Practical Information:
Entry fee: Free entry
Opening hours: Every day 10am-6pm, Friday 10am-9pm
Address: Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, London WC2N 5DN, United Kingdom
Tube station: Charing Cross / Leicester Square
WEBSITE

6. Barbican Centre

Barbican

Barbican Centre in City of London (internal terrace) by Romazur – WikiCommons

Until this point, I’ve mentioned some pretty standard and traditional museums that you can admire art in London. Now, I’m going to be telling you about a space that is a little bit different!

The Barbican Centre is considered to be more of an “art complex” than a museum. It is filled with exhibition spaces, areas for concerts, and even apartments. The London Symphony Orchestra plays 90 concerts a year at the Barbican. There is an art gallery on the third floor that focuses on design and architecture. The lower level gallery is dedicated to contemporary artists.

You can also see ballet performances, a cinema that hosts film festivals, and the Royal Shakespeare Company performs all of its London shows at the Barbican Centre. There is truly something here for everyone!

Practical Information:
Entry fee: Ticket prices vary by event. Please see the website below for more information.
Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-11pm, Sunday 11am-11pm
Address: Silk St, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS, United Kingdom
Tube station: Barbican / St Paul’s / Moorgate
WEBSITE

7. Hayward Gallery

Hayward

The Hayward Gallery, London by Michael Reeve – WikiCommons

The Hayward Gallery is a central London museum, located on the South Bank of the River Thames. The building itself boasts a Brutalist style architecture, and it adds a nice touch to the riverside scenery of this part of London.

There are no permanent collections at the Hayward Gallery. However, they do host between 3-4 different temporary modern and contemporary artists per year! Thanks to its riverside location, they also have been known to bring their art outside so that passersby can appreciate it too.

They welcome experimental artists from all over the world, and their past exhibitions have included works from artists like Diane Arbus and Lee Bul.

Practical Information:
Entry fee: Ticket prices vary by exhibition, and many are free. Please see the website below for more information.
Opening hours: Wednesday-Monday 11am-7pm, Thursday 11am-9pm
Address: Southbank Centre, 337-338 Belvedere Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 8XX, United Kingdom
Tube station: Waterloo / Embankment
WEBSITE

8. Saatchi Gallery

The Saatchi Gallery

The Saatchi Gallery at the former Duke of York’s Headquarters in Chelsea, London, UK by Jack Gavigan – WikiCommons

The Saatchi Gallery is yet another place in London to check out contemporary art. It is situated in Chelsea in the centre of the city. The museum was initially opened by Charles Saatchi in 1985, so that he would have a place to exhibit his art!

Over the years, the museum has welcomed American artists, British artists, and most recently, Chinese artists! The museums also specializes in hosting relatively unknown artists. They hope to help these artists to get a foot in the door, and most of the time, they do!

The museum is no stranger to controversy and is often in the news. Although sometimes these controversies are…less than amiable (do yourselves a favor and Google “Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and the Saatchi Gallery”), the museum typically welcomes the publicity, as it gets their name out there, and subsequently, the artists!

Practical Information:
Entry fee: Ticket prices vary by exhibition. Please see the website below for more information.
Opening hours: Every day 10am-6pm
Address: Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Rd, Chelsea, London SW3 4RY, United Kingdom
Tube station: Sloane Square / Victoria
WEBSITE

9. Whitechapel Art Gallery

Whitechapel Art Gallery

The Whitechapel Art Gallery by LeHaye – WikiCommons

When the Whitechapel Art Gallery opened in 1901, it was known for housing innovative artists for their time such as Jackson Pollack, Frida Kahlo and Mark Rothko. The space also once housed Pablo Picasso’s Guernica in 1938. The museum unfortunately fell into disrepair in the late 20th century, but it has since been refurbished and the space reopened in 2009!

In addition to making necessary repairs, the museum also expanded. In fact, the museum doubled in size after its renovations! New additions include an Archive Gallery, a reading room and additionally a complete archive that documents the inception of the gallery until present day.

Practical Information:
Entry fee: Ticket prices vary by exhibition. Please see the website below for more information.
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11am-6pm, Thursday 11am-9pm, closed Monday
Address: 77-82 Whitechapel High St, Shadwell, London E1 7QX, United Kingdom
Tube station: Aldgate East / Liverpool Street / Tower Gateway / Shoreditch High Street
WEBSITE

10. South London Gallery

SLG

Passmore Edwards South London Art Gallery by Stephen Richards – WikiCommons

To finish up my list of places to admire art in London, I present: the South London Gallery! Here, you’ll be able to see contemporary art. It wasn’t always the case, as when the museum opened in 1891, it housed works from artists like Sir Frederic Leighton. In the 1950s, the museum slowly but surely began adding in more contemporary artists such as John Piper and Christopher Wood.

The museum went contemporary for good in 1992 when David Thorp took over as Director. He brought in works by artists like Damien Hirst, Sarah Lucas and Tracey Emin. Today, Margot Heller is the Director, and she continues to ensure that the South London Gallery (also known as SLG) is a safe haven for contemporary artists!

Practical Information:
Entry fee: Ticket prices vary by exhibition, and many are free. Please see the website below for more information.
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11am-6pm, Wednesday 11am-9pm, closed Monday
Address: 65 Peckham Rd, London SE5 8UH, United Kingdom
Tube station: Oval then take bus 36 or 436 / Vauxhall then take bus 36 or 436 from bus stop C / Elephant & Castle then bus 12 or 171 from bus stop D or R; or 343 from bus stop G or alight at ‘Peckham Road/Southampton Way’
WEBSITE

Conclusion

I hope you’ve enjoyed this short guide to admiring art in London! As you can see from above, you have plenty of options. There are so many places to visit, and so much beautiful art to see. There is really something for any kind of art lover: classic, contemporary, modern and even dance! Save this list for your next trip to London, and I promise you’ll never get bored.

If you want to learn even more about where to admire art in London, why not join one of our walking tours with our expert local guides? Click here to learn more and to make your booking.

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