Tate Britain

Tate Britain Review

The stately neoclassical institution may not be as ambitious as its sibling Tate Modern on the South Bank, but Tate Britain's bright galleries lure only a fraction of the Modern's crowds and are a great place to explore British art from 1500 to the present. First opened in 1897, funded by the sugar magnate Sir Henry Tate, the museum includes the Linbury Galleries on the lower floors, which stage temporary (and often popular) exhibitions, whereas the upper floors show the permanent collection. Pictures are regularly re-hung and whatever is on view, you can find classic works by John Constable, Thomas Gainsborough, George Stubbs, David Wilkie, Francis Bacon, Duncan Grant, Barbara Hepworth, and Ben Nicholson and an outstanding display from J.M.W. Turner in the Clore Gallery, including many later vaporous and light-infused works such as Sunrise with Sea Monsters. Sumptuous Pre-Raphaelite pieces are a major drawcard while the Contemporary British Art galleries bring you face to face with Damien Hirst's Away from the Flock and other recent conceptions. The Tate Britain also hosts the annual Turner Prize exhibition, with its accompanying furor over the state of contemporary art, from about October to January each year.

Craving more art? Head down the river on the Tate-to-Tate shuttle boat to the Thames Modern, running between the two museums every 40 minutes. A River Roamer ticket (permits additional stops at the London Eye and the Tower of London.