An art lover’s journey through london

With over 9 million people, 192 museums, and 857 art galleries, London stands as a thriving global art hub. Art plays an essential role in London’s vibrant and diverse cultural scene, boasting 1,500 permanent exhibition spaces. Whatever one’s art preference, from traditional galleries to edgy street art, London offers a rich tapestry of art experiences.

The historic galleries

The British Museum

From the dawn of human history 2 million years ago to the present moment, the British Museum explores cultures from all across the globe. With an incredible 8 million artworks, it hosts the largest collection of artworks in the world. Some of the must-see items are The Rosetta Stone, Crouching Venus and the Bust of Ramesses the Great.

The Egyptian Room at the British Museum is an educational space displaying historical artifacts, including mummies, hieroglyphic scripts, and relics from different periods of ancient Egyptian history. In popular culture, online games such as Book of Dead on UK casinos include symbols that are reminiscent of the same aesthetic.

The National Gallery

The National Gallery, located in Trafalgar Square, houses over 2,300 artworks. Visitors can view a number of renowned art pieces there, such as Turner’s ‘Fighting Temeraire’, Velázquez’s ‘Rokeby Venus’, and the exquisite ‘Sunflowers’ by Van Gogh.

Tate Britain

The Tate Britain opened in 1897 and ranks among the largest museums in the UK. What makes it especially unique is the opportunity to view the world’s largest collection of J.M.W Turner’s work, as he bequeathed his entire collection to the nation.

Modern and Contemporary Art

Tate Modern

The Tate Modern is a great place to explore modern and contemporary art from around the world. It is housed in the former Bankside Power Station, which closed in 1981. It has a huge main Turbine Hall in the centre, and this vast industrial space is now a display space for large scale sculptural projects, exhibitions and installation art. It is five storeys tall, and has hosted some of the world’s most memorable and acclaimed works of contemporary art.

The Saatchi Gallery

Open since 1985, the Saatchi Gallery presents contemporary art exhibitions that showcase the work of emerging artists. This gallery is now an independent charity, with the goal of making contemporary art accessible to all. A famous exhibition hosted in 1992 was the first showing of the ‘Young British Artists’, where the star exhibit was a shark suspended in a tank of formaldehyde titled ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’ created by Damien Hirst.

White Cube Galleries

Created from an old electricity substation, this infamous gallery achieved its reputation by being the first to give one person shows to many of the Young British Artists (YBAs). It is one of the world’s leading contemporary art galleries, and there is now a second branch open on Bermondsey Street (White Cube Bermondsey).

Street Art and Alternative Spaces

Street Art in Shoreditch

For enthusiasts of street art, Shoreditch stands as the heart of London’s dynamic street art scene. The area showcases a continually changing and evolving landscape of art, from smaller, tucked-away pieces to colossal murals that envelop entire building facades. Notably, two Banksy murals from around 2001 – His Master’s Voice and Guard Dog – can be found in Shoreditch. Visitors often grab a takeaway latte and meander through the streets, discovering the art on display.

The Graffik Gallery

Famous for street art turned into gallery pieces, Graffik Gallery stands as a prime street art destination. For enthusiasts of the urban art genre, the gallery displays artworks by Banksy, Dotmaster, Stik, Alec Monopoly, Bambi, TRUST.iCON, Clet & Robin Coleman. The gallery possesses a notable knack for identifying emerging talent and showcases the best within the domain of street art.

Niche art experiences

The Cartoon Museum

For those interested in British cartoon and comic art, The Cartoon Museum boasts a library of over 5,000 books and 4,000 comics, presenting a comprehensive collection of British cartoons, caricatures, and comic strips. Temporary exhibitions since 2006 have highlighted works from Private Eye, William Heath Robinson, Steve Bell, Giles, Pont, H.M. Bateman, Viz Comic, Ronald Searle, The Beano, and Ralph Steadman. It serves as a haven for reminiscing about iconic illustrations.

The Wellcome Collection

A distinctive museum and library situated in central London, the Wellcome Collection bridges science, medicine, life, and art. Visitors can view displays of medical artifacts, original artworks exploring “ideas about the connections between medicine, life and art”, and a vast collection of books on the history of modern health and medicine.

Conclusion

London is home to an incredible selection of art and artistic history spanning centuries, continents, and cultures. With an abundance of art everywhere, why not explore beyond the conventional art spaces.

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