First up in our new miniseries, Judith Schrut drools over some upcoming treats for art lovers at London’s top museums and galleries.
Did you know London is happy home to no less than four of the world’s Top Ten art museums? The National Gallery, British Museum, Tate and Victoria & Albert Museum between them attract an astonishing 22 million visitors yearly. What’s even more remarkable in this uber-commercial day and age is that you can visit all these amazing places for free.
The Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington is unreservedly the world’s greatest museum of art and design and will always be my personal favourite. (Feel free to come and talk with me at the front desk where I volunteer most Sunday afternoons). The V&A, as it’s affectionately known, houses 150 galleries and nearly 3 million objects from around the world and across the ages, from breathtaking jewellery, fashion, theatre and photography collections to vast and glorious displays of gold, silver, ceramics, glass and much, much more. Its adorable little sister, the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, holds a further treasure trove of toys, games, dolls and dollhouses.
It’s all wonderfully displayed– along with plenty of free activities, special events, late night openings and guided tours, including the unique and award-winning LGBTQ tour. Take time out for tea and tempting cakes in the Refreshment Rooms, the world’s first museum café, designed by none other than William Morris and his contemporaries. Amongst several exciting (paid ticket) exhibitions for 2020 are Bags:Inside Out, dedicated to the ultimate accessory, from designer handbags to despatch boxes, vanity cases to military rucksacks; a fantastic trip down the rabbit hole with Alice in Wonderland, Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser; and Cars: Accelerating the Future, showing the story of one of the most revolutionary, loved, contested and influential innovations in the world.
Tate Modern and Tate Britain are always full of temptations for art lovers, with their hugely popular and unparalleled collections of historic and modern masterpieces set in superb spaces. The year’s highlights include a huge retrospective on Rodin, the unconventional French sculptor who changed art history, a timely, major exhibition on the film, photography and outspoken vision of Steve McQueen; and Andy Warhol, a fresh look at one of the 20th century’s most recognised and fascinating artists.
Over at the National Gallery, you can bathe in the warm glow of some of Europe’s greatest paintings– on tap are must-see treasures by Van Gogh, Monet, Turner, Leonardo DaVinci, Canaletto and dozens more. There are gorgeous gift shops for tasteful browsing and a choice of cafés and restaurants for that essential rest stop. I’m a big fan of NG’s Family Sundays and Friday Lates, where you’ll find free concerts, talks, tours and lovely bars.
2020 will see special (paid ticket) exhibitions on Raphael, Titian, Durer and Nicolas Maes. I’m especially excited about the first-ever show dedicated to Artemisia Gentileschi (1593–1654), a rare famous woman artist of her time, almost completely forgotten until recently.
More in our 2020 Vision miniseries coming soon.
