Ideas to help me rediscover London’s art and history!

[wavingfuriously]

Tired of London 😒 yeah I know what Samuel Johnson said but hoping someone can revive interest for me in this big city of ours..
Had spare afternoon so headed towards the central galleries passing leicester Sq. so tacky as always 🙄
Went to national gallery to have a browse but probably know every lovely painting in there by heart, their one extra exhibition was v small so didn't take long.

went up to Royal Academy humm nothing new to see..
Looked to see if there were any guided walks at that time ...nothing, zilch, what a bore!

I know Open House is coming up and its usually so interesting but never remember! and all tours are full atm.

Anyone got some interesting ideas of what to go see please? love history and art in general.
😊 thanku

What about both Tates, Hayward, Barbican, Courtauld, Whitechapel, White Cube, all the commercial galleries, Serpentine, Dulwich?

Thanks for that, always gravitate towards larger galleries...what's Whitechapel one like pls?

Have you done the Wallace Collection? Dennis Severs' House? Soane Collection? Courtauld? Dulwich Picture Gallery? The other ones round the Royal Academy, like the Linnean Society and Society of Antiquaries. Two Temple Place. There are loads of small galleries and museums round London.

Tate Modern has Frida exhibition on, just doesn't appeal, she's been done to death..

I like the British museum and the national portrait gallery

Whitechapel is usually modern artists, less well-known. Also, there's Somerset House. Tate Modern has more than Frida.

A couple of years ago I walked along the Thames Path (starting slightly inland from Canada Water) from Rotherhithe to Tower Bridge.
It was an interesting walk with unusual historical buildings, some statues, some random stone ruins that I can't even remember what they were.
Away from the tourists.
Boats and birds.
It was nice.

I went to the Women's Library Collection at LSE a few weeks ago - small exhibition, but interesting.

Ignore the Frida exhibition it is disappointing. The Ana Mendieta at Tate M is outstanding and Anish Kapoor at the Hayward is also very good.

Sure, but that’s only in a few rooms!

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Museum of the Docklands is really interesting. Postal Museum surprisingly fascinating. I really enjoyed the London Transport Museum from a historical perspective too.

There's the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road, that sometimes has interesting exhibitions. The Jewish Museum in Camden.

I quite agree. The V&A exhib was like yesterday. It was comprehensive. Why another big London exhib so soon.

I would focus on the temporary exhibitions. Anish Kapoor at the Hayward is brilliant. Barbara’s Hepworth at the Courtauld was small but very interesting. A tube to Kew Gardens to look at the current Henry Moore exhibition is well worth your time. I haven’t seen Friday Kahlo at Tate Modern yet but am going next month and it’s a rare opportunity because her works are rarely allowed to leave Mexico. Whistler at Tate Britain is excellent too. All these exhibitions have finishing dates, some are soon. I don’t visit the permanent collections that often because I know some of them so well but every gallery has special exhibitions. And the smaller galleries are well worth keeping an eye on. Giacometti at the Barbican was very small but also very quiet but you could get really close to some amazing pieces.

Dennis Severs’ house.

There’s so much to see it’s difficult to know where to start.

The Imperial War Museum has an excellent exhibition on until 1 November
Tate Britain has the Whistler exhibition
The Bloomberg space at the Mithraeum has what looks like an interesting exhibition
The Courtauld has already been mentioned
Personally I’m not keen on the Whitechapel gallery but many are
the Saatchi gallery
Browse and Derby are always interesting
the Estorick Collection
I’m mystified that you say there’s nothing new at the RA because there is the fascinating Richard Dadd exhibition there

I do agree. I study ceramics, have done for many years. I signed up to the University of Buckingham Masters in Decorative Arts and Historic Interiors taught Masters course. It's been amazing. I am now part-time, have done 5/6 modules; 1 more module and dissertation to complete. Its added so much to my life. And my previous contacts now take me very seriously!!

Ah yes but it was late afternoon and not worth going in... is that childhood in war at imperial youre talking about ? Yes that sounds v good 👍

The Garden Museum in Lambeth The new Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in Islington. William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow

For exploring London I've done a few of the citydays guided treasure hunts with my DCs. You get WhatsApp messages with clues for the next stage and you then send back an answer before getting the next clue. There are several vendors offering much the same idea - I've got no financial interest in citydays, it was just the first one we found. We really enjoyed them as fun afternoon adventures at your own place to pay attention to bits of London that you don't normally notice. It's supposed to cost £15 per person but if you're doing it as a group you really only need to sign up for one.

For something a bit different head to the V&A Storehouse East in the Olympic Park.

Also I hear the Escher exhibition at Somerset House is good.

If you like architecture do a modernist house walk around Hampstead, mostly to look at from the outside but you can visit Ernö Goldfinger’s house in 2 Willow Road. And then check in on the beautiful Rembrandt un Kenwood House.

I’m not sure what’s on at the Wellcome collection atm but their shows often combine art and science in interesting ways.

Very interesting area historically 👍

A Jack the Ripper tour (some are better than others)

Read up on the history of the Pre-Raphaelites and take a trip to the Tate

Dive into London’s oldest pubs

Strawberry Hill

Crystal Palace Dinosaurs

Try an Art Fund pass. Some places in its collection are free for everyone, but you hadn't thought of them, like the William Morris Museum. Some are free with the Art Fund pass, like the Courtauld, Apsley House and Eltham Palace. Many others are half price, and paid exhibitions at many of the big galleries are half price. You also often get a discount in the shop or cafe.