Modern Art Museum - Tate Modern
Free Entrance
Reachability:
London underground station Southwark, Jubilee Line, Zone 1 (see visitor information for directions)
Opening times:
Daily open from 10:00 till 18:00 o'clock. Entrance till 17:30. Closed from 24th till 26th of December. (link to homepage further below)
Tip: Not only fans of modern art will enjoy the visit without burdening their holiday budget with ticket costs. The restaurant Kitchen and Bar on the 6th floor offers excellent views of the river Thames and the skyline of London with the St Paul's Cathedral.
Visitor Information:
The Tate Modern is the leading modern art museum in London. It shows masterpieces as of 1900. Also this public museum charges no entrance fee. There are even every day several free guided tours. The tours are related to certain subject areas and last approx. 45 minutes. (link to further information below). The presentation and layout of the different areas is quite sober. This supports the focus on the art works. If your imagination is not stimulated by modern art, you should really think about visiting one of the other museums in London. However, if you like to enjoy a nice view during your restaurant visit, plan a short stopover in the 6th floor of the Natalie Bell building. There you will find the Kitchen and Bar restaurant with a long window front. This offers a unique view of the River Thames and the City of London.
Directions by Underground:
The Southwark underground station is located nearby and easy to reach. For simple orientation all the masts of the streetlights are painted orange along the way. These big signs can not be missed and lead directly to the Tate Modern. But the way is not very attractive.
If you do not mind a short walk, you should get off at St Paul's underground station. From there you have only to walk a few steps till you reach the St Paul's Cathedral. From the south side of the cathedral a straight pedestrian walkway leads directly onto the beautiful Millennium Bridge. After passing the pedestrian bridge you reach the south bank of the river Thames directly in front of the museum.
Discover the Highlights at Tate Modern:
1. The area Civil War (Room 3, Level 2 West, Natalie Bell Building) is located in the -Artist and Society- wing. This area is dedicated to the topic of fears during the civil wars in the 20th century. Among the displayed artworks you will find the painting -Martyred Spain- by André Fougeron and -Cosmos and Disaster- by David Alfaro Siqueiros. These works were created during the period of the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939.
2. In the -Media Networks- wing you will encounter the area Modern Times (Room 2, Level 4 East, Natalie Bell Building) where you will learn more about the influence of the fast and constantly changing world on the artists. See how these impressions are reflected in the art works of the early 20th century. Look at the masterpieces like -The Acrobat and his Partner- by Fernand Leger and -Pierrot with Book- by Juan Gris. The Spanish-born artist Juan Gris lived for a long time in Paris and was an important representative of French Cubism.
3. The area International Surrealism (Room 5, Level 2, Est Natalie Bell Building) is located in the -In the Studio- wing and displays art works from the French and international surrealists. This is where the unconscious and dreamlike impressions are in the foreground. Salvador Dali summed it up as a -descent to the subconscious-. This description is also absolutely perfect for a lot of artworks as well as for the picture -Harbour and Room- from the artist Paul Nash, which he painted between the First and Second World War after a stay in France.
4. The wing -In the Studio- offers another remarkable area with the description -Studio Practice- (Room 2, Level 2, Est Natalie Bell Building). The place where the art objects are created, the studio, has a huge influence on the artists and thus also on their works. See how this influence of the premises is reflected in the various works. Of course, this is particularly obvious in the paintings which show these spaces as their motif. Like -Seated Woman with Small Dog- by Meraud Guevara and -Studio Interior- by Henri Matisse. Matisse painted this picture around the year 1900 in his apartment on the Quai St. Michel in Paris. The picture shows a corner of this apartment. Henri Matisse lived there from 1899 to 1907.
Links to Tate Modern in London:
Visitor Information
Free Guided Tours
