17 best art galleries in London

Discover some of London's best art galleries, including Tate Modern, the National Gallery, the Saatchi Gallery and more.
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Whether you love Old Masters or modern art, contemporary sculpture or Impressionist paintings, London has an art gallery to satisfy your cultural cravings.

Check out the latest exhibitions, find iconic works in famous London galleries, or explore the city's smaller art galleries for treasures.

Whether you're into fine art, sculpture, photography, contemporary works or arty events, you will find hidden gems in one of the capital's many intimate art spaces.

Find out which area of the city each gallery is in with this London attractions map.

Explore the National Gallery's world-class works © visitlondon.com/Jon Reid
Home to one of the greatest collections of paintings in the world, The National Gallery contains a “who’s who” of art icons – from Titian and Turner to Van Dyck and Van Gogh. This iconic gallery on Trafalgar Square also features blockbuster exhibitions: past shows have included Gaugin Portraits and Monet & Architecture. Book the Official National Gallery Highlights Tour.
Where:

Trafalgar Square, Westminster, London, WC2N 5DN

Price:

Free

Sitting grandly on the banks of the Thames is Tate Modern. Britain's national museum of modern and contemporary art has a unique design due to the building's previous life as a power station. Inside, you'll find temporary exhibitions by top artists from Damien Hirst to Gauguin and restaurants offering fabulous views across the city.

Where:

Bankside, London, SE1 9TG

Price:

Free

National Portrait Gallery. Image courtesy of Heart of London Business Alliance.
Trace life from the 16th century to the present day through more than 200,000 portraits in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery. Explore some of the best portrait paintings, photographs, prints and drawings in the world, including depictions of everyone from Queen Elizabeth I to Amy Winehouse.
Where:

St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE

Price:

Free

Walk through the gates off Piccadilly to the Annenberg Courtyard and into the Royal Academy of Arts. Founded in 1768, it's home to an ever-changing programme of exciting blockbuster exhibitions. Highlights include Queen Victoria's paintbox and the only Michelangelo sculpture in the UK.

Where:

Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD

From Pre-Raphaelite paintings to landscapes by Turner and Francis Bacon's distorted nudes, there's lots to look at in Tate Britain. The gallery is home to the largest collection of British art in the world. Eat at the gallery's restaurant and study the famous Rex Whistler mural between mouthfuls!

Where:

Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG

Price:

Free

Chelsea's Saatchi Gallery is all about contemporary art, with work by young artists or international artists rarely exhibited in the UK. It will be renamed the Museum of Contemporary Art, London upon the retirement of owner Charles Saatchi, who has donated the gallery's collection to the nation.

Where:

Duke of Yorks's Building, Kings Road, London, SW3 4SQ

Price:

Free

Housed within the brutalist Southbank Centre, the Hayward Gallery is one of London's leading contemporary art galleries. Be captivated by boundary-pushing and thought-provoking shows from some of the world's most adventurous artists, as part of the year-long programme of exhibitions.
Where:

Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX

From acclaimed architects to Turner prize-winning artists, as well as stars of design and photography, the Barbican Art Gallery presents major exhibitions by leading international figures. You should also check out the Barbican's Curve, home to an exciting series of new art commissions created for the space.

Where:

Level 3, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS

Price:

From £10.00 (USD 13.08)

Head to pretty Dulwich in south London, where you’ll find works by the likes of Rembrandt, Gainsborough and Canaletto at Dulwich Picture Gallery. Alongside its collection of Baroque masterpieces, England’s first purpose-built gallery hosts regular exhibitions spanning many art movements and mediums.
Where:

Gallery Road, London, SE21 7AD

Price:

From £15.00 (USD 19.62)

Small but perfectly formed, the Serpentine Galleries sit in the middle of Hyde Park. The galleries' free exhibitions showcase international modern and contemporary art by world-famous artists such as Andy Warhol and Chris Ofili. In summer, don't miss the annual architectural pavilion commission.

Where:

Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, London, W2 3XA

Price:

Free

Discover London's top photography galleries. Image courtesy of The Photographers' Gallery.
Explore the latest in contemporary photography through the lens of The Photographers' Gallery. Britain's leading centre features work from new and established photographers, a shop selling prints, plus talks and events.

The Whitechapel Gallery champions contemporary art. Founded in 1901 to bring art to the people of east London, it is now internationally acclaimed for its exhibitions, education and event programmes. In the past, the gallery premiered artists such as Frida Kahlo, Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko.

Where:

80-82 Whitechapel High Street, London, E1 7QX

Price:

Free

Not only is the Guildhall Art Gallery a treasure trove of paintings spanning five centuries, but it also has a secret. During its renovation in 1985, developers discovered an underground Roman amphitheatre, where gladiators and wild animals once prowled and which you can now visit.
Where:

Guildhall Yard, London, EC2V 5AE

Price:

Free

White Cube Bermondsey. Photo: Ben Westoby
See the latest works from world-famous artists at White Cube Bermondsey. It was founded by Jay Jopling, the trendsetting gallerist who represents Tracey Emin, Mona Hatoum and Damien Hirst among others. The space at London Bridge is complemented by its sister gallery, White Cube Mason's Yard in St James's.
Where:

144 - 152 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3TQ

The cutting-edge South London Gallery in Peckham is known for highlighting up-and-coming talent – the likes of Gilbert and George and Tracey Emin have been spotlighted here. The gallery also runs family workshops and artist-led events.
Where:

65 Peckham Road, London, SE5 8UH

Fashion galleries in London

One of the world's leading museums of art, design and performance the Victoria and Albert museum is home to the largest and most comprehensive collection of dress in the world. Exciting exhibitions have included Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto, an exploration into the designers life and NAOMI, a celebration of the fashion supermodel's extraordinary career.
Where:

Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL

Price:

Free

Discover fascinating exhibitions at the Fashion and Textile Museum. Image courtesy of Fashion and Textile Museum.
Founded by British design icon Zandra Rhodes, the Fashion and Textile Museum has become a pioneering centre of contemporary fashion, textiles and jewellery. Visitors can enjoy an exciting changing programme of exhibitions or get hands-on at one of the museums workshops that are held throughout the year.
Where:

83 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3XF

Price:

From £9.90 (USD 12.95)

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