Tate Britain

Walk Through British Art

Main Floor

Photo © Rikard Österlund

Walk through time and explore artworks from 1545 to the present day

These rooms offer a chronological display of Britain’s greatest artists, taken from the collection. Instead of designated themes or movements, the display is is arranged by decade, so you can see an array of art made at any one moment.

Visitors looking at art in Tate Britain

© Rikard Österlund

Visitors looking at art in Tate Britain

© Rikard Österlund

Visitors looking at art in Tate Britain

© Rikard Österlund

Visitors looking at art in Tate Britain

© Rikard Österlund

Visitors looking at art in Tate Britain

© Rikard Österlund

Visitors looking at art in Tate Britain

© Rikard Österlund

Venue

Tate Britain
Millbank
London SW1P 4RG
Plan your visit

Art in this display

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Rooms in this display

Left Right
  • Sir Nathaniel Bacon, ‘Cookmaid with Still Life of Vegetables and Fruit’ c.1620–5

    1540

    Start the journey through 500 years of British art with works from 1540–1650
    Free entry
  • Jan Siberechts, ‘View of a House and its Estate in Belsize, Middlesex’ 1696

    1650

    Explore a time of enormous change in the United Kingdom, from 1650–1730
    Free entry
  • William Hogarth, ‘The Painter and his Pug’ 1745

    1730

    See British artworks from 1730–1765, including an iconic self-portrait by Hogarth
    Free entry
  • Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Three Ladies Adorning a Term of Hymen’ 1773

    1760

    Discover artworks from 1760–1780, a period dominated by the work of Sir Joshua Reynolds
    Free entry
  • John Singleton Copley, ‘The Death of Major Peirson, 6 January 1781’ 1783

    1780

    Experience paintings and sculptures from the war period of 1780–1810
    Free entry
  • John Constable, ‘Sketch for ‘Hadleigh Castle’’ c.1828–9

    1810

    See landscape painting and great neoclassical works from 1810–1840
    Free entry
  • Henry Wallis, ‘Chatterton’ 1856

    1840

    Recapture the feel of a Victorian exhibition gallery, with artworks from 1840–1890
    Free entry
  • Ithell Colquhoun, ‘Scylla’ 1938

    1930

    Reflect on the diversity of art produced in Britain from 1930–1940
    Free entry
  • Edward Wadsworth, ‘Bronze Ballet’ 1940

    1940

    See artworks from 1940–1950, which mainly respond to World War II
    Free entry
  • Gillian Ayres OBE, ‘Distillation’ 1957

    1950: Abstraction in Britain

    Until 29 Mar 2020
    Discover the abstract art that artists in Britain were exploring throughout the 1950s
    Free entry
  • Peter Blake, ‘Self-Portrait with Badges’ 1961

    1960

    Explore 1960–1970, a decade of tremendous change in society and art
    Free entry
  • Monster Chetwynd, ‘Crazy Bat Lady’ 2018

    60 years

    Until 17 May 2020
    Celebrate the work of British women artists from 1960s to the present day 
    Free entry

A roaring success

The Sunday Times

If you thought you knew British art, visit and think again … there is no better place to go

The Mail on Sunday

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