G is for… Galleries
Art is an important part of London’s cultural scene.
London has a world-class art scene, from the ancient to the modern, punk to kitsch, history paintings to immersive artworks, and everything in between.
As well as the pieces themselves, the galleries in which they are shown are some of the most beautiful in the world, and in this edition of my A to Z of London, we are exploring the letter G, for Galleries.
The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square
The biggest, the oldest, and one of the most famous, is the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, in the very heart of London. 2024 is a big year for the National Gallery, as this is its 200th birthday. It was founded back in 1824, after the British government acquired a collection of European masterpieces from the family of the wealthy banker John Julius Angerstein.
Britain was actually quite late on the national art collection scene; countries such as France, Spain, and Germany already had public collections on display, but until 1824 most of our big art collections had been in the hands of royalty and aristocrats. When the government bought the first 38 paintings from Angerstein’s heirs, they at first displayed them in his former home on Pall Mall, but quickly realised that a grander, purpose-built museum was needed for this fledgling national art collection.
A site on the northern side of the newly-transformed Trafalgar Square was chosen, and in 1832 work began to build a great gallery to hold paintings from all over Europe, and from the 13th century right up to the 19th.
Detail of ‘The Fighting Temeraire’ by JMW Turner
The gallery houses important works by such giants of European art as Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and Hans Holbein. It also has an impressive collection of British paintings, most famously the canvas known as ‘The Fighting Temeraire’, by Joseph Mallord William Turner, which was voted the nation’s favourite painting in 2005. It also features on the £20 English banknote, along with a portrait of Turner himself.
This year, the Temeraire – along with other favourite paintings by the likes of John Constable, Johannes Vermeer, and Caravaggio – is going on tour around the country to celebrate the gallery’s 200th birthday, but not to worry, Turner bequeathed over 30,000 works of art to the nation when he died in 1851. You can see his beautiful ‘Dido building Carthage’ at the National, and a wide selection of his other works at the next gallery on our list.
The main hall at Tate Britain, with a view of Vong Phaophanit’s work, ‘Neon Rice Field’
Tate Britain was the next major public gallery to be founded in London, and opened its doors in July 1897. Its core collection, and its name, come from the sugar tycoon and philanthropist Sir Henry Tate – he donated 65 works of art to the nation, and also gave £80,000 towards the building of a public art gallery to house them. For many years it was called the National Gallery of British Art, but was renamed in his honour in 1932. The gallery stands on the site of the old Millbank Prison, most famous as being the place from where convicted criminals were transported to Australia in the 19th century. The old prison was demolished after Tate’s gift, and rebuilt in part by Robert Smirke, who also worked on the British Museum.
It is the home of most of Turner’s bequest, and also has a world-leading collection of works by British artists from 1545 to the present day; it also hosts the prestigious Turner Prize on alternate years, and a rolling programme of contemporary pieces by British and international artists.
Detail of ‘Ophelia’, by John Everett Millais
Its permanent collection features gems such as ‘The Cholmondeley Ladies’, a Tudor portrait of two sisters and their babies in fine 17th-century dress; a charming self-portrait of the artist William Hogarth and his pug, Trump; ‘Ophelia’ by John Everett Millais; and Barbara Hepworth’s red stone sculpture ‘Figure of a Woman’. It also has a continuing programme of special exhibitions, usually focusing on either an artist or a social movement. Until April 2024, the main exhibition is Women in Revolt, featuring fascinating paintings, sculpture, zines, and sociological works by women, focusing on social issues such as housing, women’s rights, and CND.
In the year 2000, Tate opened a new gallery with a focus on international art from 1900 onwards – Tate Modern – which has gone on to become the second most visited museum in the UK, just behind the British Museum.
Tate Modern with its iconic central chimney
Tate Modern, opened by the late queen Elizabeth II in May 2000, houses a spectacular range of modern and contemporary art by the likes of Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Louise Bourgeois, Anish Kapoor, Bridget Riley, and Andy Warhol. Its displays are constantly evolving, and its central Turbine Hall – pictured below – houses a spectacular site-specific artwork that changes once per year.
At five storeys tall, the Turbine Hall is an incredible space where artists can create vast pieces, and over the years has seen works such as Olafur Eliasson’s ‘The Weather Project’ – my personal favourite – where a giant setting sun seemed to have been captured within the hall. Another extraordinary piece was Doris Salcedo’s ‘Shibboleth’ in 2007, where the artist carved a huge crack into the very fabric of the hall’s floor, whose scar can still be seen today.
Olafur Eliasson’s ‘The Weather Project’ at Tate Modern
The hall itself is a remnant of the gallery building’s original use: from 1891 to 1981, it was the Bankside Power Station, a huge coal-fired electricity station located in the heart of London, just across the river from St Paul’s Cathedral. After it was decommissioned in 1981, the building sat unused for decades, until the Tate estate acquired it for their new gallery.
Not far from St Paul’s, in the centre of the ancient City of London, sits a small but charming art gallery, located beside the Guildhall of the Livery Companies of the City.
Paintings by Matthew Smith - portrait of Patricia Neale in the centre
The Livery Companies are essentially trades union, representing arts, trades, and manufactures in the financial heart of London. Some of them are very old – the most ancient is the Worshipful Company of Weavers, whose Royal Charter dates from 1155. There are currently 111 livery companies, and together they elect the Lord Mayor of the City of London, a political office in existence since 1189. They conduct their business in the medieval Guildhall, and beside it sits the Guildhall Art Gallery, home to a small but important collection of ancient and modern art, many with a focus on London itself.
They currently have a display of vibrant paintings by the Yorkshire artist Matthew Smith, who studied under Matisse, whose influence you can see in his choice of bright colours, relaxed poses, and rich interior scenes.
The Wallace Collection
The last gallery on our list today is the beautiful Wallace Collection, on Manchester Square near Bond Street. Unlike the state and municipal galleries in the rest of this blog, the Wallace is a private collection, and is housed in the building where its original collectors made their home.
The Marquesses of Hertford lived at Hertford House from the 1500s up to 1890, when the last of the line, Sir Richard Wallace, passed away. His widow gifted the family’s collection to the nation, with the condition that it would always be displayed in their home, and that the collection would never be broken up, sold, or amended in any way. The result is a unique collection that focuses on 18th and 19th century French art, displayed in the sumptuous surroundings of an aristocratic home.
‘The Laughing Cavalier’ (detail), by Frans Hals
The collection includes the famous paintings “The Laughing Cavalier” by Frans Hals (pictured above), and “The Swing” by Fragonard, as well as portraits by Joshua Reynolds, an impressive collection of medieval armour, and gorgeous furniture by the French cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle.
If you would like to explore these galleries, and the many others in London, contact me here to book a tour.
