Home is where the art is

London’s galleries offer a visual feast – but which one’s right for you? Mr Londoner guides us through some options.

The National Gallery – Renaissance treasure and so much more
As the name suggests, this is the UK’s national collection of paintings. Founded in 1824, works here date from the 13th century to the early 19th. You’ll find exquisite early devotional art (albeit made by anonymous hands) like the Wilton Diptych, through to Renaissance giants like Caravaggio, Leonardo and Titian. Reynolds, Gainsborough, Constable and Turner feature as do the impressionists including Seurat, Manet and Monet. And there’s Van Gogh Sunflowers – a world-famous crowd-pleaser.
Who likes the National Galley? Those seeking an overview of art and who wish to explore how it was shaped through changes in technique and technology. These older works can be viewed through the lens of our own times, reflecting contemporary attitudes to art – and to life in general.

The Chevalier d’Éon, one of London’s first trans people painted by Thomas Stewart, 1792. National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery – great lives
The NPG is all about the sitters rather than the art or, indeed, the artist. Although there are great works by our leading painters and photographers. There’s sculpture too. Get face-to-face with Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela or Agatha Christie. A recent re-hang has sought to make the collection more relevant to modern-day lives. There’s now a fresh emphasis on diversity and the people who have shaped modern Britain.
Who likes the National Portrait Gallery? People who want to understand a little of the inner life of some of high profile historical, political and cultural figures. Some of the most extraordinary and valuable exhibits are of Tudor and Stuart monarchs, along with giants of stage and screen and artists like David Hockney, Elton John and Kate Bush.

Machine No.6, 1967 by Shinkichi Tajiri, Tate Modern @meetmrlondoner

The Tate Modern – edgy content in an old power station
The Tate Modern was created in the Year 2000 in the former Bankside Power Station overlooking the River Thames. Its art is unashamedly cutting-edge. Much of its content sets out to challenge and provoke. The former industrial space has helped create a cultural hub for Bankside, a former working-class industrial district. Art here is not classic or cosy. Tate Modern is proud to showcase renowned artists like Pipilotti Rist, Cildo Meireles and Sarah Sze. There’s also a Picasso currently on display, work by Duncan Grant – and several Lichtensteins.
Who likes Tate Modern? People who are open-minded, keen to explore new art, challenging ideas and experiences. There are flashing lights, nudity and narratives about climate, race and gender. There is nothing cosy about Tate Modern. This all strikes a rather different tone from its more traditional older sister over the water, in Pimlico.

Tate Britain – British art through time
Tate Britain was built on the site of the former Millbank Prison. It was once part of the National Gallery. Independent since 1932, it showcases British art from the 16th century to the present day. The stunning Turner bequest is here. There are Constables too and the almost surreal work of William Blake. There’s sculpture by Henry Moore and Anthony Caro and ground-breaking paintings by Paula Rego, Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and others.
Who likes the Tate Britain? People who want to understand the evolution of British art through time. Known affectionately as ‘Tate sedate’, these galleries may also appeal to those who find the content of the Tate Modern just that bit too challenging.

The V&A does painting and photography as well as fashion @meetmrlondoner

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) – the world’s leading museum of design
This is the world’s largest museum of design and applied arts. There are textiles, ceramics, fashion, furniture and ironwork. The Asian and Medieval galleries are simply stunning and the Cast Courts (with their dramatic life-size plaster copies of treasures from antiquity) are breathtaking. There’s painting and photography too. The V&A has something for everyone.
Who likes the V&A? This is a museum with truly mass appeal. Specialists come here to discover textiles and tapestries or Jacobean furniture. But this also the place for a much wider audience. The V&A is home to the UK’s largest fashion collection. Taylor Swift’s stage costumes proved a massive draw over the summer. They also introduced new and younger audiences to the museum. The current Naomi Campbell exhibition is building on this success. There’s also a brilliant gift shop selling clothing, books, prints and jewellery.

The Swing by Jean Honore Fragonard 1762. The Wallace Collection @meetmrlondoner

The Wallace Collection – a private display of Rococo excess
Nestled in Marylebone’s Manchester Square is the privately-owned Wallace Collection. It houses the world’s leading display of Rococo art, much of it purchased at hastily-arranged fire sales in the wake of the French Revolution. Rococo art is defined as the final expression of the Baroque period. It dominated continental European art and culture in the 17th and 18th centuries. Famous paintings include The Swing by Fragonard and the Laughing Cavalier by Frans Hals. The great masters are here too. There are works by Titian and Goya. You’ll also discover an impressive collection of Canalettos and works by Rubens, Rembrandt and Constable. If painting is not your thing, there’s an important collection of Sèvres porcelain. There’s an even bigger collection of arms and armour from around the world.
Who likes the Wallace Collection? People who love the art of the Rococo which, in its day, was considered pretty racy. Others come here for the armour. There’s a posh restaurant in the dramatic setting of the central courtyard. The Wallace is not quite as well known as other galleries. Consequently, it offers a contemplative space to absorb the art – free from the crowds.

You’re never too young to enjoy art. A family outside the National Gallery @meetmrlondoner

The Guildhall Art Gallery – a hidden gem in the Square Mile
Somewhat hidden within the the City of London’s Guildhall is a great art gallery. Describing itself as a ‘hidden treasure’, it houses some incredible works, which relatively few visitors ever discover. There are paintings by Constable and Rossetti. This gallery is most famous for its Victorian art, depicting a nation on the move during the industrial revolution and age of empire. One of Britain’s largest paintings is here – The Floating Batteries of Gibraltar – by colonial American artist and Bostonian, John Singleton Copley. Here too is a Roman amphitheatre, discovered by accident in 1988, when the Guildhall Art Gallery was under construction.
Who likes the Guildhall Art Gallery? People who love Romantic painting and all things Victorian. It’s great to visit as part of a walk in the Square Mile – as the City of London is called. This was the original Londinium founded by the Romans in AD47. It’s now our financial quarter. Despite the glass and steel skyscrapers and the corporate offerings, this is still a place of wonder. There are Dickensian alleyways, ancient churches and Roman remains that will surprise and delight.

The Imperial War Museum – the story of citizens in conflict
Although not an art gallery at all, the Imperial War Museum is housed in the dramatic building that was once Bedlam – the Bethlehem mental hospital. Outside are two massive guns from First World War Royal Navy ships. The museum’s Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries cover the two World Wars and more recent conflicts. The most famous painting, Gassed, by American artist John Singer Sargent, is as upsetting as it is impressive. The collection also spotlights the work of prominent women war artists. They include Clare Atwood, Norah Neilson-Gray and Olive Mudie-Cooke. There are dramatic pictures too by famous war artist brothers, Paul and John Nash, displayed in the lower-ground floor First World War galleries.
Who likes the Imperial War Museum? People fascinated by Britain’s response to conflict and the toll war has taken on ordinary people since the early 20th century. The museum takes a contemporary and thoughtful approach to its topic, by telling human stories of endurance. The wider content here, including a 1940s Spitfire and Sherman tank, mini submarines and equipment and uniforms, is incredible.

Salavador Dali – street art in east London @meetmrlondoner

Street art – London’s 24-hour gallery
London is a great city to see street art. There are the works of famous artists like Banksy, Otto Schade and Dreph. And there are plenty of other lesser-known artists. Leake Street is a tunnel under Waterloo Station where, far from being illegal, street art is positively encouraged. Banksy hosted his Cans Festival here, where artists celebrated their craft in a ‘paint jam’. The area around Spitalfields and Brick Lane in the East End is a thriving creative hub. It too is justly famous for its street art, with precious works by Jimmy C, Stik and MIA. An interesting alternative to street art aid to seek out London’s ghost signs. These are the hand-painted advertising murals of yesteryear, which have somehow managed to survive down the decades.
Who likes street art? This is a medium with broad appeal. Perhaps it’s the ephemeral nature of the work that people love so much. Great pieces can disappear in under 24-hours, replaced by those of other aspiring artists. Or maybe it’s just the democratic nature of street art …that can be created (almost) anywhere, by anyone, at any time.

 

 

About the Author

Mr Londoner is former museum director Antony Robbins. He runs private tours in all of these museums and galleries and he loves a bit of street art too. Meet Mr Londoner here