Tate Britain's collection of British art in London completely rearranged

For the first time in a decade, London’s Tate Britain has entirely refurbished its collection of British art, the most comprehensive in the world. Visitors can now view more than 800 works by more than 350 artists spanning six centuries. Iconic works, from John Everett Millais’s Ophelia and David Hockney’s A Bigger Splash to Barbara Hepworth’s Pelagos and Chris Ofili’s No Woman, No Cry, as well as new works and additions.

The galleries are arranged chronologically, from the 16th century to the present, and each room has a color, title, and theme. They explore art in its social context, revealing how artists responded to the cultural, political, economic and technological changes they experienced. These include the rise of the urban metropolis in the Hogarth era, the Pre-Raphaelites’ quest for beauty during the Industrial Revolution, the role of abstract art in Britain’s postwar reconstruction, and the impact of celebrity culture on the art scene of the 1990s. Visitors can also see one hundred works by William Turner, rooms devoted to key historical figures such as William Blake, John Constable, and Henry Moore, and a series of regularly changing solo exhibitions celebrating innovative artists.

Tate Britain Director Alex Farquharson said, “Tate Britain now tells a broader story of British art. We want to show that art is about real people living in the real world. By exploring the connections between artists and the times in which they live, we can shed new light on Britain’s greatest artworks and show a wider range of perspectives and ideas.”

A key theme throughout the remounting is precisely the relationship between British art and the rest of the world. Reflecting the internationalism of British history and its multicultural present, many of the artists on display were born outside the UK, from Rubens, Van Dyck and Canaletto to Frank Bowling, Paula Rego and Mohammed Sami. The rearrangement also aims to reflect on the contribution of women artists, from early British professional painters such as Joan Carlile and Mary Beale, to modern women artists. Half of the living artists featured are women, including Turner Prize winners such as Rachel Whiteread and Lubaina Himid, along with a new generation of women artists such as Rachel Jones and Kudzanai-Violet Hwami.

Polly Staple, director of the Tate’s collection of British art said, “The remount offers a broader and more complex picture of British art, and this is only possible because of the way the Tate’s collection has been expanded, deepened, and diversified in recent years. A selection of incredible new acquisitions can now take their place at Tate Britain alongside our most iconic works, which can be enjoyed for free by all.”

Contemporary British art is celebrated throughout the building. Several works by living artists are placed among artworks from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, showing how ideas have traveled through the centuries and how they make connections between past and present.

Andrea Schlieker, director of exhibitions and displays at Tate Britain, said, “Tate Britain plays an important role in promoting and celebrating the unique contribution contemporary artists make to our lives today. Throughout the re-installation, their work brings history to life in imaginative and unexpected ways, offers new perspectives on our present, and provides inspiration for future generations.”

Below are some images from the re-installation. © Tate

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Tate Britain's collection of British art in London completely rearranged

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