Tate Britain

Old and new art thrive together at the Tate Britain in Millbank, London. Situated relatively close to the Houses of Parliament along the Thames River, Tate Britain, formerly known as the National Gallery of British Art, houses a great array of art and is one of the largest national collections. On my trip, besides focusing on museums as my points of interest, I had specific artworks in mind that I was very eager to seek out (such as The Swing).  

At the Tate Britain, I was very eager to see Sir John Everett Millais' Ophelia. Ophelia being the tragic maiden featured in Shakespeare's Macbeth. Millais, a Pre-Raphaelite painter, portrays Ophelia in a creek filled with spring foliage that contrasts her entranced sad and somber face. The bittersweet portrayl is breathtaking and captivating to witness in-person.

Tate Britain had other wonderful portraits, sculptures, and installations. There were expressive Turner seascapes, mythical and alluring Blake drawings, and lots of contemporary sculpture. An unfinished version of Madame X by John Singer Sargent, was shown with an unnerving ghostly figure tucked into the bottom left corner of the canvas (pictured below). 

I was really amazed at the variety of art at Tate Britain. I felt it had many paintings of truly unusual quality and, in particular, contained many portraits that were unique and incredibly expressive.