If you live in or around London, you have access to regularly changing blockbuster art exhibitions on your doorstep. Today, Monet’s paintings of the Thames have just gone on show at the Courtauld Gallery, sixty paintings by Van Gogh are showing together at the National Gallery, Michael Craig Martin has a large solo show at the RA and, finishing next month, The Expressionists is showing at Tate Modern. The bad news is that these exhibitions aren’t cheap. You’ll either have to pay upwards of £15 per adult each time you visit, or buy an annual members card for each gallery. There is good news though. London also has some of the best artwork in the world on display for free! The National Gallery alone has over 2000 in their free collection.
Below, I’ve put together a list of places where you can go and see art for free. They are mostly larger galleries and museums, but you might also like to put together your own gallery trail of smaller, free, commercial galleries too.
A selection of large venues where all or some of art can be seen for free:
The Royal Academy of Arts
Serpentine Galleries
British Museum
V&A
Photographers Gallery Currently closed until 9th October / Free on Fridays from 5pm
Tate Modern
Tate Britain
The National Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery
The Curve gallery at the Barbican
Victoria Miro
Whitechapel Gallery
Design Museum
Gagosian
Wellcome Collection
Frith Street Gallery
White Cube Gallery (Bermondsey and Masons Yard)
The Wallace Collection
Guildhall Gallery