Modern masters
The Tate Modern museum of modern and contemporary art in London, England
The Tate’s famed international modern art collection has moved to a huge renovated former power station on Bankside, just across the pedestrian Millennium Bridge from The City and St. Paul’s. If you're into contemporary art, this place rocks.
The collection includes art from the Impressionists to today—from Rodin’s The Kiss and dozens of pieces by Picasso, Matisse, and van Gogh to Dalí, Giacometti, and Modigliani, and later works by Mark Rothko, Jasper Johns, Henry Moore, Julian Schnabel, Frank Stella, Anselm Keifer, and a host of other contemporary-era artists.
It also puts on showstopping major special exhibits of the sort the entire global art world talks about. Seriously. My Dad's an artist, so I run into this lot plenty, and I have honestly overheard the following conversation:
"I'm headed to London next week."
"Oh yes, why?"
"To see that exhibition at the Tate."
That was it. The entire purpose of a transatlantic trip was just to go to a temporary show at this one museum.
(Awesome gift store, too.)
Bankside
Tube: London Bridge or Southwark
Sun–Thurs 10am–6pm, Fri–Sat 10am–10pm
tel +44-(0)20-7887-8888
www.tate.org.uk
Free (it does charge for special exhibitions)
Tips
- Planning your time: Depending on what kind of exhibits are on, figure on at least an hour in the main collection (more if you're a modern art fan), maybe another 30–45 minutes for special exhibits. I have actually come here and spent more than three hours simply at a special exhibit, never even getting to the main part of the collection. Also figure on spending at least 20–30 minutes (and probably a lot more money than you expected) in the awesome book store and gift shop. (
on London Itineraries.)
- Get a free audio guide with your London Pass
.
- Take a tour of the Tate with our partners:
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This article was last updated in May 2007. All information was accurate at the time.
Copyright © 1998–2010 by Reid Bramblett. Author: Reid Bramblett.
