Museums of London - Part 3 - Art

As well as some of the finest food, shopping and history in the world, London is also a hub of modern and classical art. This article will show you a little more of the art scene to be found in the capital city. There are hundreds of small but important art venues in London, but in this article I wanted to focus on two of the most important (and my favourites).

The Tate Modern

On the banks of the Thames, this is the national modern art gallery of the United Kingdom, and is one of the largest modern art museums in the world. The building was actually a former power station, and the high ceilings and huge open spaces lend themselves perfectly to modern art installations. To give you an idea about what you can find here, in the next month (February 2018) there will be an exhibit showing future potential designs for houses and community projects, on the cutting edge of architecture and design. At the moment, the largest hall in the gallery is full of swings for people o play on and take themselves back to a simpler time in their lives.

The National Gallery

Whilst a very popular gallery for those who know about it, the National Gallery is not quite so well known as the Tate Modern or the National History Museum. Partly because it can get lost in the fun and craziness of Trafalgar Square (where it sits), and also partly becasue the art here could be considered a bit more serious.

It's a beautiful example of classical powerful imperial buildings, similar in style to those of Westminster and Whitehall. The building and the art it houses have called this square home since 1824, and now houses almost 3000 unique and valuable works.

In April a Monet exhibit will open, and currently there are Vermeer, Cezanne, Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Gogh paintings, as well as works by Da Vinci, Velasquez and Raphael. There are few places in the world to match the variety and quality of work! One of the best parts of the gallery is that it's not just a place to look at great and famous paintings. They host regular talks and discussions in the galleries, as well as courses, tours and drawing/painting workshops. It's an incredibly interactive gallery, with the experience of the visitor at the front of the minds of the current producers.

The National Gallery

Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN, UK

Tate Modern, art gallery

Tate Modern, London SE1, UK

Trafalgar Square

London SW1Y 5BQ, UK