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Tate Britain

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Clore Gallery)

Tate Britain
Tate Britain in 2011
Map
Established1897; 129 years ago (1897)
LocationMillbank
London, SW1
Coordinates51°29′27″N 0°07′38″W / 51.490833°N 0.127222°W / 51.490833; -0.127222
Visitors1,149,325 in 2025[1]
DirectorAlex Farquharson[2]
Public transit access
London Underground Pimlico
Websitetate.org.uk
Tate

Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England.[3] It is part of the Tate network of galleries in England, with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. Founded by Sir Henry Tate, it houses a substantial collection of the art of the United Kingdom since Tudor times, and in particular has large holdings of the works of J. M. W. Turner, who bequeathed all his own collection to the nation. It is one of the largest museums in the country. In 2021, it ranked 50th on the list of most-visited art museums in the world.[4]

History

[edit]

The gallery is on Millbank, on the site of the former Millbank Prison. Construction, undertaken by Higgs and Hill,[5] commenced in 1893, and the gallery opened on 21 July 1897 as the National Gallery of British Art. However, from the start it was commonly known as the Tate Gallery, after its founder Sir Henry Tate, and in 1932 it officially adopted that name.[6] Before 2000, the gallery housed and displayed both British and modern collections, but the launch of Tate Modern saw Tate's modern collections move there, while the old Millbank gallery became dedicated to the display of historical and contemporary British art.[7] As a consequence, it was renamed Tate Britain in March 2000.[8]

Clore Gallery, designed by James Stirling (1987).

The front part of the building was designed by Sidney R. J. Smith with a classical portico and dome behind, and the central sculpture gallery was designed by John Russell Pope. Tate Britain includes the Clore Gallery of 1987, designed by James Stirling, which houses work by J. M. W. Turner. The Clore Gallery was built through a joint effort between Jewish philanthropist Charles Clore and his daughter, Vivien Duffield, who together donated £6 million, and the British government, which contributed an additional £1.8 million.[9][10] The Clore Gallery has been regarded as an important example of Postmodern architecture, especially in the use of contextual irony: each section of the external facade quotes liberally from the building next to it in regard to materials and detailing.[11]

Crises during its existence include flood damage to artworks from the River Thames spilling its banks,[12] and bomb damage during World War II. However, most of the collection was in safe storage elsewhere during the war, as in anticipation of the threat to London more than 700 artworks were secretly transported to Muncaster Castle in Cumbria on 24 August 1939.[13] In 1970, the building was given Grade II* listed status.[14]

In 2012, Tate Britain announced that it had raised the £45 million[15] required to complete a major renovation, largely thanks to a £4.9 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £1 million given by Tate members.[16] The museum stayed open throughout the three phases[17] of renovation.[15] Completed in 2013, the newly designed sections were conceived by the architects Caruso St John and included a total of nine new galleries, with reinforced flooring to accommodate heavy sculptures. A second part was unveiled later that year, the centrepiece being the reopening of the building's Thames-facing entrance as well as a new spiral staircase beneath its rotunda.[17] The circular balcony of the rotunda's domed atrium, closed to visitors since the 1920s, was reopened. The gallery also now has a dedicated schools' entrance and reception beneath its entrance steps on Millbank and a new archive gallery for the presentation of temporary displays.[18]

Facilities

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Millbank Millennium Pier outside Tate Britain, which is linked by a river bus to Tate Modern

Tate Britain has a number of accessibility features for disabled visitors.[19] The gallery provides a café and a members room. As well as administration offices, the building complex houses the Prints and Drawings Rooms (in the Clore galleries),[20] as well as the Library[21] and Archive[22] in the Hyman Kreitman Reading Rooms.[23]

Tate Britain and Tate Modern are now connected by a river bus along the River Thames, which runs from Millbank Millennium Pier immediately outside Tate Britain. The boat is decorated with spots, based on paintings of similar appearance by Damien Hirst. The lighting artwork incorporated in the pier's structure is by Angela Bulloch.[24]

Rex Whistler restaurant

[edit]

The gallery previously featured the Rex Whistler restaurant, named after Rex Whistler who created a mural, The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats, in the room that was completed in 1927[25][26] and that included enslaved Black children and caricatures of Chinese people. This led to complaints, petitioning for removal and an investigation by the Tates's ethics team.[27] The restaurant was closed and the area re-purposed and now features the mural alongside a film installation called Viva Voce by Keith Piper.[25][28]

Displays

[edit]

The main display spaces show the permanent collection of historic British art, as well as contemporary work. It has rooms dedicated to works by one artist, such as: Tracey Emin, John Latham, Douglas Gordon, Sam Taylor-Wood, Tacita Dean, and Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, though these works, like the rest of the collection, are subject to rotation.

The gallery also organises career retrospectives of British artists and temporary major exhibitions of British art. Every three years the gallery stages a Triennial exhibition in which a guest curator provides an overview of contemporary British art. The 2003 Tate Triennial was called Days Like These.[29] Art Now is a small changing show of contemporary artists' work in a dedicated room.[30]

Tate Britain is known for hosting the annual and usually controversial Turner Prize exhibition every other year, that features artists selected by a jury chaired by the director of Tate Britain.[31][32] Four nominees are announced in spring, the show of their work opens in autumn and the prize itself is given in December.[33] There have been demonstrations against the prize, notably since 2000 an annual picket by Stuckist artists.[34] The exhibition and award ceremony have taken place at locations other than in Tate Britain: for example, in Liverpool (2007),[35] Derry (2013),[36] Glasgow (2015)[37] and Hull (2017).[38]

Late at Tate Britain runs on four evenings each year and is curated by young people. The evenings can include discussions, workshops, films, music, performances and art installations.[39][40]

Regular free tours operate on the hour, and at 1:15 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday short 15-minute talks are given on paintings, artists and artistic styles.[41]

Permanent collection

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Tate Britain is the national gallery of British art from 1500 to the present day. As such, it is the most comprehensive collection of its kind in the world.[42] More recent artists include David Hockney, Peter Blake and Francis Bacon. Works in the permanent Tate collection, which may be on display at Tate Britain include:

[edit]

Statue of John Everett Millais

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Statue of John Everett Millais by Thomas Brock at Tate Britain, installed 1905

When the Pre-Raphaelite painter and President of the Royal Academy, John Everett Millais, died in 1896, the Prince of Wales (later to become King Edward VII) chaired a memorial committee, which commissioned a statue of the artist.[43] The sculpture, by Thomas Brock, was installed at the front of the gallery in the garden on the east side in 1905. On 23 November that year, The Pall Mall Gazette called it "a breezy statue, representing the man in the characteristic attitude in which we all knew him".[43]

In 1953, Tate Director, Sir Norman Reid, attempted to have it replaced by Rodin's John the Baptist, and in 1962 again proposed its removal, calling its presence "positively harmful". His efforts were frustrated by the statue's owner, the Ministry of Works. Ownership was transferred from the Ministry to English Heritage in 1996, and by them in turn to the Tate.[43] In 2000 the statue was removed to the rear of the building.[43]

Controversy

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BP Sponsorship

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Starting in 1990, oil company BP began a sponsorship of Tate Britain, which was to become 'the longest and most consistent sponsorship of any permanent art collection in the UK' according to the Tate itself.[44] Although BP renewed its support in 2011, offering a fresh commitment to last a further decade,[45] the following year BP announced the termination of its support for Tate Britain, blaming the 'extremely challenging business environment'.[46] Although the company denied that the decision was influenced by climate change protests, BP's support for Tate Britain had drawn the attention of activists to the gallery. In 2015, a collective called Liberate Tate had occupied part of Tate Britain and attributed BP's move to climate activism, which has since become a focus of academic study.[47]

Transport connections

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ServiceStation/StopLines/Routes servedDistance
from Tate Britain
London Buses London BusesTate Britain Disabled access87
London Underground London UndergroundPimlicoVictoria line0.4-mile walk[48]
National Rail National RailVauxhallSouth Western Railway0.5-mile walk[49]
London River Services Millbank Millennium Pier Disabled accessTate to Tate0.2-mile walk[50]

See also

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Notes and references

[edit]
  1. ↑ "LATEST VISITOR FIGURES". ALVA. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  2. ↑ Press Release: New Director of Tate Britain Appointed, Tate online, 29 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  3. ↑ Tate. "History of Tate". Tate. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  4. ↑ The Art Newspaper, 28 March, 2022
  5. ↑ 'General introduction', Survey of London: volume 26: Lambeth: Southern area (1956), pp. 1–17. Date accessed: 27 March 2010.
  6. ↑ Tate: History of Tate – The gallery at Millbank, London Linked 15 May 2013
  7. ↑ "At Tate Britain". www.burlington.org.uk. July 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "The rebranding of Britain: where's the beef?". The Independent. 21 March 2000. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "No sweet Charity The Observer". www.theguardian.com. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  10. ↑ "Critique of the Clore gallery". 15 June 2006. Archived from the original on 15 June 2006. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  11. ↑ "British Architecture", Architectural Design, London, 1982, p.78.
  12. ↑ Kelly, Jon (16 February 2014). "The great 1928 flood of London". BBC News. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "Muncaster Castle's secret wartime art mission". BBC News. 22 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  14. ↑ Historic England. "Tate Gallery (1222913)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  15. 1 2 Sulcas, Roslyn (18 November 2013). "Tate Britain Completes Renovation". New York Times. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  16. ↑ "Tate Britain hits £45m renovation target". BBC News. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  17. 1 2 Merrick, Jay (18 November 2013). "Tate Britain's redesign: It may not be cool but it's restrained, and elegant, and it works". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  18. ↑ "'Transformed' Tate Britain unveiled". BBC News. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  19. ↑ "Tate Britain". visitlondon.com. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "Prints and Drawings Rooms". Tate. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  21. ↑ "Research services: library", Tate online.
  22. ↑ "Research services:archive", Tate online.
  23. ↑ "Research services: Hyman Kreitman Reading Rooms", Tate online.
  24. ↑ "Millbank Pier web site". Millbankpier.co.uk. 22 May 2003. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  25. 1 2 "Keith Piper & Rex Whistler". Tate. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  26. ↑ McLaren, Bonnie (12 March 2024). "Tate Britain unveils new counterpoint to offensive Rex Whistler mural". BBC News. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  27. ↑ Lanre Bakare (7 December 2020). "Future of Tate Britain's 'offensive' Rex Whistler mural under review". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  28. ↑ Mosbacher, Michael (17 February 2022). "The Tate's grubby cancellation of Rex Whistler". The Spectator. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  29. ↑ "Days Like These", Tate online.
  30. ↑ "Tate's Art Now: Celebrating Emerging Talent for 30 years". bukhmanfoundation.org. 28 February 2025. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  31. ↑ Khomami, Nadia (23 April 2026). "Turner prize shortlist for 2026 announced by Tate Britain". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  32. ↑ "The Turner Prize". Tate. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  33. ↑ "Turner Prize 2026 Shortlist Announcement Date Confirmed, Exhibition at MIMA". HENI News. 21 April 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  34. ↑ "Stuckists art group in major show". 23 August 2006. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  35. ↑ Fox, Dan (6 December 2007). "What Does Mark Wallinger's Victory of the Turner Prize 2007 Tell Us About British Contemporary Art". Frieze. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  36. ↑ "Turner Prize 2013: Laure Prouvost wins £25,000 prize". BBC News. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  37. ↑ "Assemble win the Turner Prize 2015". Central Saint Martins. 28 January 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  38. ↑ "Turner Prize 2017: Lubaina Himid's win makes history". BBC News. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  39. ↑ Westall, Mark (25 June 2022). "Late at Tate Britain Returns". FAD Magazine. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  40. ↑ "Late at Tate Britain: Lee Miller | Things to do in London". Time Out London. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  41. ↑ Tate Britain Archived 9 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine, LondonBoard.co.uk, Accessed 8 February 2012.
  42. ↑ Razzall, Katie (23 May 2023). "Tate Britain has rehung its art collection: What can we learn?". BBC News. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  43. 1 2 3 4 Birchall, Heather. "Sir Thomas Brock 1847–1922", Tate online, February 2002. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
  44. ↑ "BP ends 27-year sponsorship of Tate as falling oil price takes toll". The Financial Times. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  45. ↑ "Press Release: BP and leading UK cultural institutions extend partnerships with 10 million sponsorship". BP website. 18 December 2011.
  46. ↑ "BP ends 27-year sponsorship of Tate as falling oil price takes toll". The Financial Times. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  47. ↑ "When Climate Activism Succeeds: The Story Of Liberate Tate – ETHICAL UNICORN". 14 January 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  48. ↑ "Walking directions to Tate Britain from Pimlico tube station". Google Maps. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  49. ↑ "Walking directions to Tate Britain from Vauxhall station". Google Maps. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  50. ↑ "Walking directions to Tate Britain from Millbank Millennium Pier". Google Maps. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
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Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tate_Britain&oldid=1368415216#History"