There’s a vast number of amazing museums and galleries to visit in London and here’s a couple of my favourites that I visited recently.
I’ve been taking a break from the studio to recharge my batteries, and it was great to head to London and visit Tate Modern, and the National Portrait Gallery, to add a little creative inspiration to my work.
Based on Bankside in London, the Tate has free admission with paid admission for some of it’s visiting exhibitions. A lovely spacious location, it feels less crowded than many of the London galleries. Anthony McCall’s exhibit ‘Solid Light’ runs from June 2024 – April 2025 and is a mixture of art, installation, light and sculpture. I interacted with the exhibit by walking through walls and tunnels of light, then sat on the floor contemplating, as the sculpture subtly changed in front of me.
Next was the portrait gallery where I loved studying portraits that spanned the centuries, loving the historical, the iconic, the kitsch, and the modern works there. The art collection spans from the 16th Century to the modern day and incorporates painting, drawing, sculpture and photograhy. For me, as a portrait artist, it was wonderful to see the paintings up close and examine the brushwork, to reach out an touch the past. A few iconic highlights as you come face-to-face with Queen Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn, the Bronte sisters, Wallis Simpson, Virginia Woolf, Bjork & thousands more.
Also, check out the Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award 2024 exhibition at the National Gallery, with free admission, which shows a wide range of contemporary portrait art. See work by winners Antony Williams, Isabella Watling, Rebecca Orcutt and Catherine Chambers. Exhibition runs from July – October 2024.
A glimpse of my London gallery weekend.
For more info on 25 museums you can visit for free in London, click here plus see Visit London’s list of best art galleries.