The Tate in London - Tate Modern and Tate Britain

These can be individual one-hour talks, or a single lecture covering both galleries but in less detail.

Tate Britain – a romp through 500 years of British Art

Established in the 19th century by Sir Henry Tate as the National Gallery of British Art, the Tate Gallery soon became very popular as the collection gradually grew to thousands of works. This talk examines its origins and looks at highlights from 500 years of British art as it has gently morphed from classical portraits, landscapes and history paintings to some cutting-edge contemporary works. All the big names like Reynolds, Turner, Constable and Millais are joined by many lesser known but significant artists.

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Tate Modern – More than just a pile of bricks

Tate Modern originally opened in 2000 but in June 2016 opened its doors to the stunning new Blavatnik Building immediately setting the new gold standard for museum design. This talk looks at the sleek new architecture and its engagement with the local environment and then follows the highlights of the collection, starting with Monet, Matisse and Picasso, continuing through the 20th century with artists such as Bacon, Freud and Epstein and on to some more recent international works. Some are easy to explain, and some are quite challenging. Some are profound, some are witty, some are whacky, but they all have a place. Tate Modern is the most visited modern art museum in the world and this armchair tour is a chance to explore the artworks without the crowds.