As a History of Art and Architecture student at Brown and zealous art lover, there is no better feeling than wandering the winding halls of any art museum or gallery I come across. Whether it’s lingering against the wall of Monets in the RISD Museum’s Impressionists room, admiring the rows of Michelangelo’s unfinished sculptures at the Accademia in Florence, or ducking under a Los Angeles gallery’s stoop to wait out the passing rainstorm (and getting sucked into their current exhibit, of course), there really is no better place to be.
Last week, I spent Spring Break in London, a city whose art scene is nothing short of extraordinary, offering a dazzling array of museums and galleries that hold some of history’s greatest masterpieces. As one of the world’s premier art destinations, London is home to hundreds of internationally renowned museums and galleries, the mere fact of which can feel completely overwhelming. Which museums should I prioritize? Which collections shouldn’t be missed? Which lesser-known spots deserve a spot on my itinerary?
So whether it’s your first time in the UK or you’re returning to the city for another adventure, I’ve compiled a guide to my favorite stops in London’s art scene with all the tips and tricks I wish I knew before I went. From the National Gallery’s long lines and star-studded galleries to the Design Museum’s funky collection of British typography, here’s everything you need to know about London’s *must-see* museums and galleries, all of which are perfect to visit if you only have a week in the UK’s bustling capital.
- The Victoria & Albert Museum, South Kensington
As soon as you walk in, a marvelous blown glass chandelier in various shades of blue and green hangs, suspended from the top of the dome—the V&A’s defining (and trademark) piece of modern art. Designed by Dale Chihuly in 2001, the glass tendrils of this chandelier seem to expand and contract as you walk past, catching the light differently at various times of the day. But if I spend the entire article waxing poetics about the V&A Chandelier, I’d miss out on all the other notable sights at this museum.
Directly off the entrance (and next to the store—we’re coming back to that one) is the V&A’s Islamic Gallery. This is definitely a must-see. While the musuem holds 19,000 Islamic and Middle Eastern Artifacts in their collections, only a select few are on display, including turquoise-glazed ceramics from Iran, a jade and gemstone encrusted tankard from the Ottoman era, a towering Mamluk minbar, and the 17 foot Ardabil Carpet, the V&A’s Islamic Art Collection is absolutely impressive. Also the subject of many seminar discussions for my HIAA1418: Islamic Art at the RISD Museum course, it was incredible to see these obejcts I had studied up close.
The next stop on my list is the cast court. With everything from a plaster cast of Michelangelo’s David to the Column of Trajan (omg!) to Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise, the cast court is a must-see at the museum. There are two ways to access the cast courts: (1) if you’re on Level 0, make sure you head through the Buddhism and Korea galleries until you come upon the entrance and (2) if you’re on Level 2, go all the way through the Ironwork halls, down the stairs at the end of the exhibit and enter through the doorway off the Korea gallery.
The Baroque and Renaissance/Medieval exhibits—both of which are right off the entrance to the museum—are also incredible. Seeing Chippendale furniture, Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Neptune and Triton, Raphael Cartoons lent by King Charles, seventeenth-century Dutch marquetry, and JMW Turner’s seascapes was absolutely unreal! For photography buffs, the photography center on Level 2 boasts photographs by the Beschers, Lorna Simpson, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Shomei Tomatsu, and so many other photographers from the early nineteenth century to the modern day. And if you’re in the photography collection, why not visit the V&A’s jewelry collection? Dedicated to tracing jewelry history from 700 BCE to the 21st century, this collection includes crown jewels from the British Royal Family (including Queen Victoria’s Sapphire and Diamond coronet, which she wears in the portrait painted by Franz Xaver Winterhalter in 1842), an English neo-classicist Nautilis Cup, fakes and copies of Graeco-Roman pendants, and gorgeous Etruscan baule earrings.
If you’re feeling peckish after your multi-floor scavenger hunt, do stop by the V&A cafe. It offers a selection of patisserie, gourmet hot and cold meals, sandwiches, and salads. If you’re at the V&A for tea, be sure to try their Earl Grey Scones with jam and clotted cream—I’m honestly drooling just thinking about it! If the day is nice, be sure to take it to eat in the Garden Cafe, but if it’s raining, no fear, you can eat in one of the Cafe’s many decorated period rooms. My favorite is the Gamble Room, with its ornate chandeliers and exquisite stained glass windows. As the V&A writes, “you’ll be spoilt for choice”!
Last, but not least, make sure you visit the V&A shop. They offer soaps (which smell divine), tote bags, keyrings, enamel pins, catalogue books, and everything else you’d expect at a regular museum shop. For those looking to take something a bit more exciting home, the shop sells a magnificent collection of jewelry made by UK and international artisans who “are constantly pushing the boundaries and exploring the creative possibilities of material and design.” Make sure to bring your student ID, as you can secure a sweet student discount at checkout!
While tickets to the museum are free, expect to pay entry to featured exhibits like NAOMI in Fashion (on view until this Sunday), The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence (on view until 5 May), and Cartier (opens next Wednesday). As you’re in Kensington, there is so much to see after you finish your visit! You can pop over to the Natural History Museum, take cute pictures on Kynance Mews, and visit Kensington High Street—all within a 20-minute walk of the museum.
- The British Museum, Bloomsbury
The British Museum is any Classics concentrator’s dream come true. The chance to see the Parthenon marbles up close (if they haven’t already been to Athens, of course) is perhaps one of the most remarkable experiences in the world.
But that’s not all that the museum has to offer, however. To make any trip to the British Museum worthwhile, the museum has put together a list of 12 must-see artifacts from the collection, including the Rosetta Stone, the turquoise and shell Aztec Serpent, and the Hoa Hakananai’a, among 9 other priceless artifacts. Having successfully traced down most of the items on this list, I can say that the British Museum’s collection is one of the most impressive collections of antiquities that I have seen (second, of course, to the Getty Villa and the Acropolis Museum).
If you’re hungry after your visit, which I definitely was, ditch the museum cafe and walk 10 minutes to Eggslut Fitzrovia off Tottenham Court Road. Known for their delectable and unconventional egg sandwiches served on fresh brioche bread, Eggslut offers creative alternatives to your traditional egg sandwich, including the Gaucho with wagyu tri-tip steak or the Fairfax with chives, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and sriracha mayo. If you’re a matcha fan, I would definitely try their blueberry or strawberry matcha.
If you’re willing to bear the long lines at check-in and school groups crowding around each and every artifact, I would definitely say that the British Museum is worth it. Make sure to book a timed-entry ticket (for free) and have that ready to present to the ticketing people outside of the entrance. If you’re planning on bringing a bag, don’t pack anything that could be confiscated—they really take security seriously here. Finally, make sure to load the map of the museum on your phone, as maps cost £2.
- The Courtauld Gallery, Strand
The Courtauld Gallery was probably my favorite museum in England, only second to the V&A. Manageable in about 2 hours, the gallery boasts works of art by Peter Paul Rubens, Parmiginiano, Sandro Boticelli, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Claude Lorraine, Pietro da Cortona, Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Camille Pissaro, Paul Cezánne, Honoré Daumier, Francisco de Goya, and so many others. Each floor progresses by time period: the first floor features Medieval and Renaissance (including decorative arts and works from the Islamic Middle East), the second holds the collection of European Art from 1400 to 1800, and the third displays the masterpieces from the Impressionist era and the 20th century.
Room 7, which holds works by Rubens and other 17th-century European artists, used to be the Council Room, which belonged ot the Royal Academy. At the time, the Academy was one of the first to allow female artists to show their works, including Mary Moser and Angelica Kauffman. Other rooms were used to practice drawings from casts of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture and as the backdrop for the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition. Stepping into each room and seeing images of their uses in the eighteenth century is a magical experience—it almost seems as though you can hear the whispers of hushed artistic conversations bounce against the walls.
When I was there, the gallery was showing their featured exhibit, Goya to Impressionism. Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection. Open until 26 May, this exhibit has been a hit, so grabbing tickets for it is virtually impossible. As of right now, the exhibit is sold out until 13 May, so if you want to see this exhibit, make sure to grab your tickets fast! Everyone I know who has visited the exhibit has nothing but incredible things to say about it, including Jeff Goldblum and his wife, Emilie, who were there at the end of March.
If you’re going to stay in the area, make sure you have a coffee at the Art Cafe, which is directly opposite the ticket hall and gallery entrance, and lunch at Watchhouse, which lies a few steps outside the main area of Somerset House. If not, you can step outside the gallery and check out all the incredible eats around Strand.
Entry to the Gallery costs £12 on weekdays and £14 on weekends, but if you present your student ID, you might get in for free. The Courtauld is cashless, though, so make sure that you bring your card or other form of payment device, including Visa, Mastercard, Amex, or Apple Pay.
- The National Gallery, City of Westminster
Trying to race around the halls of the National Gallery in order to see everything before closing is impossible (been there, done that). But, as I quietly spedwalk around the main floor of the West Building, my eyes widened after every legendary piece I happened to walk by. From Paul Delaroche’s The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (it’s larger than life and such an emotional work) to Canaletto’s vidute of Venice and William Hogarth’s Marriage-a-la-Mode series, there truly is something for every art-lover’s period of choice at the National Gallery. The main challenge, I found, is trying to get a good look at some of the more famous paintings and architectural details around the museum—some people have taken to snapping 10-15 selfies with the paintings while influencers have their very own private photoshoots in the most inconvenient places. Other than that, the ways in which each painting is in conversation with one another—from the Poussins to the Rembrandts to the Corots—the National Gallery is definitely a place that I will be going back to again, and again, and again.
While at the National Gallery, I got wind from a friend that their featured exhibit, Siena: Rise of Painting, was on view. When I passed security at the entrance, I immediately booked it to the ticketing desk and paid £20 for admission. Oh my gosh, I am so glad I did. For lovers of medieval art (including myself) this gallery was exquisitely curated—you can tell that a lot of thought went into the ways in which visitors could interact with the art works on their own accord, whether it’s by circumambulating, studying the religious iconography, or reading the detailed museum labels accompanying each piece. In this dark space, the museum lights are dimmed, letting the gold of the altarpieces glimmer from their place behind glass display cases. For the works not behind display cases, the museum has taken care to keep them at eye-level, inviting a level of scrutiny that I’ve only seen at smaller museums. As a joint exhibit by the National Gallery and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Siena is on its second, and final, leg of its tour. If you want to see it, I wholeheartedly recommend it. Once you emerge on the other side of the exhibit, your eyes squinting from the light adjustment, it all feels like a dream.
Like the British Museum, the National Gallery has created its own list of must-see artworks, including high-profile pieces like Leonardo da Vinci’s Ginevra de’ Benci, Jackson Pollock’s Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist), and Louise Bourgeois’s Spider. Make sure you check ahead, however, because some of their iconic paintings, including Flowers in a Vase by Rachel Ruysch, The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger, and The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck, weren’t on display while I was there.
The National Gallery is free, although you must book free timed-entry tickets to present to the ticketing people as you approach the museum on the bustling walkways of Trafalgar Square. Make sure you don’t bring massive bags, as every visitor has to walk through a metal detector and undergo a bag search if you ring.
- *The Hidden Gem* The Design Museum, Kensington
Last on my list, and perhaps the most surprising, is the Design Museum, tucked away on Kensington High Street. The Design Museum is the “world’s leading museum devoted to contemporary design in every form” and is perfect for art-lovers and design fans alike. Their permanent collection includes an excellent exhibit titled “Designer Maker User,” which explores the development of design through those three different roles. With everything from an explanation of the tube font design to the evolution of chair manufacturing to products from century-defining brands, this exhibit allowed me to see art (and design) from a completely different perspective.
On Level 1, or PLATFORM, the Design Museum was highlighting the work of local London designer Bethan Laura Wood, a multidisciplinary artist who takes inspiration from other artists and periods to inform the creation of her maximalist works. The Design Museum has put 70 of her works on display on the PLATFORM, with some of my favorites being her Tongue Teapot series, which investigates phases of design and pays tribute to the Rosenthal porcelain company’s legacy as a company, the Particle-Stack collection, created during her residency with the museum, and Maria Chaise A—Tolix, a reinterpretation of the Tolix chair through similar decorations to Queen Elizabeth I’s bodice. As a whole, Wood describes her practice as being “quite tongue-in-cheek or play around with big ideas of hyperreality. We live in a world where the digital landscape has become more ‘real’ than the physical — to some people it’s their chosen reality…”
The most fascinating part of the museum was The World of Tim Burton, which is on view until 26 May. I honestly have nothing but good things to say about this exhibit, including the conception of the exhibit, the movement through space, the ways in which the objects were displayed (thorough mesh that discouraged touching but allowed for clear photographs), and the narrative told through the exhibit. As a SoCal native, it was so much fun to be able to pinpoint locations that were mentioned in the wall labels (shoutout CalArts) and see the creation process behind some of Tim Burton’s most famous movies, shorts, and TV series. The exhibit also has a Snap AR experience, which some people in the gallery enjoyed. Through set installations, costume designs, sketchbook pages, and movie posters, The World of Tim Burton was an incredible experience. Plus, there was a photograph by Hiroshi Sugimoto at the end of the exhibit, which was a fantastic surprise!
- Bonus: Don’t Forget the Galleries Around London!
With all the museums around London, there are equally as many galleries. If I had to make an elevator-pitch case for galleries, I would say that the best thing about them is that you get to interact with gallery owners who know the works of art on their walls inside and out. Sometimes, you’ll hear incredible stories of the artist’s creative process or find a new artist whose work you’re drawn to. In general, art galleries support up-and-coming artists, giving them a platform upon which they can reach a wider audience and provide a space for community engagement across neighborhoods and cities. Shirin Neshat launched her career through an invitation for exhibition by Annina Nosei, the Italian art dealer and gallerist who owned a gallery in New York City until 2005 and is known for being Basquiat’s first dealer. If that’s not enough, they’re free to go into (for the most part) and can be a good way to spend those awkward hours between lunch and dinner, before aperitif.
Some of my favorite galleries that I’ve wandered into include Thackeray Gallery and Serpentine Gallery in Kensington, and Clarendon Fine Art and Castle Fine Art near Covent Garden. Thackeray Gallery is currently holding a solo show by Sarah Spackman RBA ROI, titled “The Light Within,” until 17 April. Spackman is a “contemporary figurative artist particularly well known for her still life oil paintings” whose “strength of drawing and the delicate and subtle use of colour” emerge as the two main features of her works. While walking around the gallery’s small space, I was drawn to two paintings: Market Satsumas and Purple Tulips, both of which have been sold. I loved the way that Spackman represents light in her works, and how she modulates color to brighten up or darken the backgrounds of her still lives.
So, the next time you find yourself in London, skip the usual tourist traps and make sure to include these museums and galleries as *essential* stops in your itinerary. Each museum has so much to offer in terms of history, culture, art appreciation, good food, and so much more. Whether it’s a centuries-old masterpiece or an experimental pop-up show in a neighborhood gallery, the art here (and everywhere really) tells a story—one that’s constantly evolving with London’s modern framework. And the best part? Most of it is free, meaning you can soak up the world’s rich artistic culture without breaking the bank (I’m looking at you, the Met).
There really is something so incredibly special about being able to see works of art, photography, sculpture, and ceramics in person that I have only seen as blown-up images on LIST110’s massive white walls, LIST220’s windowless room, or LIST423’s small monitor during my weekly lectures and sections. The experience of wandering through an art museum (and getting lost) or chatting with a gallery owner or museum security guard is unlike anything else. Art is truly the backbone of humankind, whispering the stories and truths of history when its words have long faded. With every brushstroke, chisel mark, fingerprint, camera shutter, and inked page, art shapes our collective memory, reminding us of a not-so-distant past that binds us to those who came before.
Beyond its famous attractions, London is such a vibrant city. Seeing that there was so much that I missed—even though I was there for a week!—I can’t wait to go back and explore the same places and discover new ones. If you haven’t been yet or are debating about whether or not to go, what are you waiting for? Off you pop! See you across the pond!