A belated write-up of my visit to Tate Britain a couple of weeks ago.
Firstly, considering the museum is supposed to be "the home of British art since 1500", there didn't seem to be as wide a variety of art as I expected, and the layout of the rooms constricted the art. For example with some of the larger pieces, these were displayed hanging above other pictures, so that you had to stand right back to view them properly, and then the ceiling lights reflected off them, spoiling the view.
Although there were some sections devoted to modern art, there was only one Hockney for instance, and there didn't seem to be much from the 19th Century.
However, a Wednesday afternoon was a good time to visit as there were hardly any visitors, so giving lots of opportunity for close study. On the ground floor they had quite a few film stills, images and items from
Patrick Keiller that I enjoyed and was quite intrigued by, especially as often they were of places I know in Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Whilst politically opposite, I can appreciate the sentiments he expresses in his pieces.
Turning to the more conventional art, there was a large quantity of Romantic art, including Turner. I hadn't previously been aware of his seascapes before, which were amazing compositions of light and imagery, such as his magnificent depiction of the Battle of Trafalgar. I think I looked at that for over 10 minutes, as there was so much detail, and it was so well painted. There was also lots of sketches from Constable including a series of cloud studies.
They're in the process of altering the layout of the Tate and bringing back into use large areas currently closed. I hope they use the space to more logically lay things out, as it would make it easier to see how British art evolved over time, such as the way they used oils, as currently it's a bit of a mess.
Off to the V&A tomorrow.
Though there are also a fair few bunny-boilers - tread warily!
