Tate Britain ★☆☆

3h | from £300.00

London’s Tate Modern and Tate Britain hold some of the country’s pre-eminent collections of historic and contemporary art. Visiting both museums via a boat ride along the Thames is a chance to see how ideas and artistic processes flow through time. By selecting works shown in the galleries’ permanent collections, Joshua will chart the evolution of different art movements and media. 

A writer and lecturer at Sotheby’s, Christie's, specialising in modern and contemporary art, Joshua also freelances as a lecturer in art for the Tate museums and the National Portrait Gallery. Growing up in London, he has witnessed first-hand the city’s emergence as a centre of the global contemporary art scene.

A frequent contributor to Flash Art magazine and co-presenter of The Art Channel, your guide always has the inside track on what to see – one of the many reasons we enjoy gallery-hopping with him and getting his expert take on London’s emerging artists and must-see exhibitions.

When your booking is confirmed, you will receive comprehensive details about your experience, including Joshua's contact details and the meeting location. You will also receive a pre-experience questionnaire, which is essential for Joshua to be able to tailor your tour to your interests. 

You will meet Joshua at the Tate Modern, where he will select works out of the permanent collections to illustrate how artistic creation has evolved in style and medium. Then, taking to the Thames by boat, you will go on to Tate Britain, where Joshua will identify early British works that continue to inspire artists today. He’ll give his insight into the connections between diverse styles, from self-expressive painting to conceptual works inspired by mathematics.

The whole tour lasts around three hours, and includes some light refreshments.

3h 30m | from £76.48

Tate Britain, where your tour starts, contains the main collection of British Art from the 16c. to the present day. It is a splendid 19c. home for the British collection. Updated recently it has all modern facilities and is endowed with some beautiful space for large sculpture in the Duveen Galleries. In the Clore Galleries you will find a continuous but frequently changing display of paintings by Turner, from the bequest he made to the Nation of over 300 works. They are a must for all lovers of this great artist.

A boat trip down the Thames links the two Tates and provides a wonderful panorama of London from the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben to St. Paul's and the City of London. You alight on the South Bank for the Tate Modern, the famous conversion of the Bankside Power Station (1957-60) which took place during the 1990's to house the 20 C. collection of Modern and Contemporary Art. Apart from the exciting modern collection of paintings, sculptures, and objects, it enjoys from the top floor splendid views over the Thames towards St. Paul's, to which it has been linked by the Millennium pedestrian bridge by Norman Foster. It also contains an imposing collection of modern European masterpieces from the beginning of the 20 C with great works by the Italian futurists like Boccioni or metaphysical painters like De Chirico, French masterpieces in sculpture and paintings like Degas' Dancers, Matisse, Picasso and an impressive collection of American Abstract Expressionists.

This in-depth private tour is hosted by a professional guide specializing in art history. Please list any special interests you have (art, architecture, history, culture) at time of booking to alert our guide, so that he or she can better prepare for your private tour.