The Tate Gallery opened in 1897. It is named after Henry Tate, the gallery’s first benefactor, who made his money as a sugar refiner. Henry Tate wanted a gallery that celebrated art by the masters of Modern British Art (in the Victorian era). He contributed £80,000 to the cost of the building and donated 65 paintings from his collection. These included J.W. Waterhouse's The Lady of Shalott and Millais' Ophelia. The gallery was opened by Edward Prince of Wales on July 21, 1897. It was opened to the public on August 16. When it opened, it employed 25 staff, including five attendants. Now the Tate has 850 employees.
The first foundations of the building were laid in 1893, and it was completed four years later. Visitors can see architect Sidney R J Smith’s design in the core building today. The impressive entrance and central dome was to resemble a palace, giving the gallery a sense of importance. And the lion and unicorn on the roof is a reminder that the gallery displays British art.
Tate Britain has the biggest collection of British art in the world, according to londontoolkit.com. It is home to works of British art from 1500 to the present. Artists on display include Blake, Constable, Epstein, Gainsborough, Gilbert and George, Hatoum, Hirst, Hockney, Hodgkin, Hogarth, Moore, Rossetti, Sickert, Spencer, Stubbs and Turner.
Tate Britain is open every day from 10am to 6pm. On the first Friday of every month, it is open until 10pm for Late at Tate Britain. Entry is free except for major exhibitions. The nearest Underground Stations are Pimlico, Vauxhall and St James's Park. If you take the bus, Route 87 stops on Millbank, Routes 88 and C10 stop on nearby John Islip Street, and Routes 2, 36, 185, 436 stop on nearby Vauxhall Bridge Road.
Tate Britain
Millbank
London, SW1P 4RG
020 7887 8888
The Tate Modern contains works of international modern and contemporary art dating from 1900 onward. The gallery is housed in the former Bankside Power Station across the Millennium Bridge from St Paul's Cathedral. Tate Liverpool is in a converted warehouse on Liverpool's Albert Dock. It also displays international modern and contemporary art. Tate St Ives is in Porthmeor Beach in St Ives, Cornwall. It shows art by modern British artists, including work of the St Ives School, a group of artists living and working in St Ives.