About
Tate Britain is the national gallery of British art from 1500 to the present day. Located on the site of the former Millbank Prison beside the River Thames, this elegant neo-classical building houses the world's most comprehensive collection of British art.
From Tudor portraits to Turner's sublime landscapes, from the Pre-Raphaelites to Francis Bacon, from Blake's visionary works to contemporary installations, Tate Britain showcases over 500 years of British creativity.
The gallery is also home to the prestigious annual Turner Prize and features the purpose-built Clore Gallery, which displays the largest collection of J.
M. W.
Turner's works in the world. With its beautiful architecture, riverside location, and rotating displays from its vast collection, Tate Britain offers an unparalleled journey through British art history.
Categories:
Annual Visitors (2022)
1,484,000
Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Busiest: Saturday, Sunday
💡 Weekday mornings for quieter galleries
💡 Visitor Tips
- Start with the Turner Collection in the Clore Gallery - it's often quieter in the morning
- The collection is arranged chronologically in the Walk through British Art - follow it from 1540 onwards
- Don't miss Ophelia by Millais - one of the most photographed paintings in the collection
- Free guided tours run daily at 11am, 12pm, 2pm and 3pm focusing on different themes
- The Rex Whistler Restaurant features a spectacular mural by the artist - worth visiting for lunch
- Take the Tate Boat to Tate Modern for a scenic Thames journey connecting both Tate galleries
- The museum hosts Turner Prize exhibitions annually (September-January)
- Visit on weekday mornings for quieter galleries, especially in the Turner rooms
Highlights
Turner Collection at the Clore Gallery
The largest collection of J.M.W. Turner's works in the world, with over 300 oil paintings and 30,000 works on paper. The purpose-built Clore Gallery (opened 1987) displays Turner's bequest to the nation, showcasing his revolutionary approach to light, colour and atmosphere. See iconic works including 'The Fighting Temeraire', 'Rain, Steam and Speed', and luminous Venetian scenes.
Ophelia by John Everett Millais (1851-52)
One of the most iconic and beloved paintings in British art. This Pre-Raphaelite masterpiece depicts Shakespeare's Ophelia floating in a stream surrounded by meticulously detailed flowers, each symbolically significant. Millais painted the background outdoors by the Hogsmill River in Surrey, achieving extraordinary botanical accuracy.
Pre-Raphaelite Collection
Outstanding works by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and their associates including Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, and Edward Burne-Jones. See richly coloured, intensely detailed paintings inspired by medieval art, literature, and nature.
William Blake Gallery
Visionary works by William Blake (1757-1827), including illuminated books, watercolours, and prints. Blake's mystical and prophetic art combines poetry and visual imagery in unique ways. See works from 'Songs of Innocence and Experience', 'The Book of Job', and 'Jerusalem'.
Collections
Tate Britain holds the national collection of British art from 1500 to the present day, comprising over 70,000 works including paintings, drawings, sculpture, and prints. Collection strengths include: the world's largest collection of works by J. M.
W. Turner; Pre-Raphaelite paintings; William Blake's visionary art; Tudor and Stuart portraits; 18th-century conversation pieces and landscapes by Gainsborough, Reynolds and Hogarth; Victorian narrative painting; British Modernism (including works by the Bloomsbury Group, Vorticists, and St Ives artists); and major holdings of post-war and contemporary British art by Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, David Hockney, Anish Kapoor, and Turner Prize winners.
Walk through British Art
Chronological displays spanning 1540 to the present day, showing the development of British art through major movements and artists
📍 Main galleries
Clore Gallery: Turner Collection
Rotating displays from the world's largest collection of J.M.W. Turner's work
📍 Clore Gallery
Art Now
Changing series featuring new work by emerging and established contemporary artists
📍 Duveen Galleries
BP Spotlight Displays
Rotating thematic displays exploring specific artists, movements, or themes in British art
📍 Various rooms
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.