In London, the national art galleries are free to enter, and as such, they are a regular staple in any tourist’s visit to London. As any art guide will tell you, the Tate Modern is a must-see. It’s the national gallery of international modern and contemporary art, situated beside the Thames. At just 10-years-old, the Tate is already undergoing a major extension; it was designed for 1.8 million visitors a year but gets closer to 4 million. The Tate is housed in a disused power station, and exhibits contemporary art ranging from new painting and sculpture, surrealism, minimalism, cubism, futurism and vorticism.
The Tate Britain is the national gallery of British art from 1500 to today. Each room is arranged in chronological order, with a theme or a focus on a particular artist. It displays the Turner collection alongside Pre-Raphaelite paintings, with works by Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon.
The National Portrait Gallery was established with the criteria that it had to be about history and not art; about the status of the sitter instead of the quality of the work. That criteria is still enforced today. As well as a permanent collection, the National Portrait Gallery holds six major exhibitions and more than 10 special displays a year. It also hosts numerous conferences, events, music evenings, talks and family activities.

