Tate Britain
Pimlico station, just beyond the ticket barriers in the station
Guided by Rick Jones
Walk Times
| Day | Walk Type | Start Time | End Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Weekly | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Winter Summer | Reserve Online |
On a tour of Tate Britain with arts critic Rick Jones you will see the best of British painting and sculpture over 500 years, a collection assembled initially by the sugar refiner Henry Tate, inventor of the sugar cube.
You will meet the Cholmendeley Ladies of the Tudor court and the Kytsons of Hengrave Hall whom Elizabeth I visited.
You will see the satirical, moral and political works of William Hogarth and portraits from the studios of Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds. You may appreciate breeding in the animal paintings of George Stubbs.
You will enter the mystical gallery of poet-painter William Blake and fall in love with the romantic idealism of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood – William Morris, Dante Gabriel Rossetti Edward Burne-Jones, William Holman Hunt.
You may wonder at the romantic landscapes of John Constable and the awesome power of nature in scenes by JMW Turner. You will whiff the grease-paint in the music hall paintings of Walter Sickert and sense the rhythm in the jazz-age vorticist William Roberts.
You will admire the impressionist naturalism of the American adoptive Englishmen John Singer Sargent and James MacNeill Whistler.
You will wander among statues and busts by Sir Frederic Leighton and Jacob Epstein and yearn to feel the contours of the surreal sculptures by Henry Moore.
BEARS REPEATING, THIS ONE’S GUIDED BY ARTS CRITIC RICK JONES
Angie Bowen –
Five stars for this guide and this tour! I am not an expert on art – really a novice who just wanted to learn about and appreciate British art. Rick was able to connect with everyone! I recommend for ANYONE!
Ms. Gaby Terrasse –
Excellent tour. Rick showed us around the Tate Britain in a way in which we had not seen before. He is very knowledgeable, making a historical link through the paintings for the visit, creating a story, adding anecdotes and fun details which are easy to retain, very informative and pertinent. We are a family of 4 with 2 teenagers who were very interested in what he had to say. Thank you Rick for this great afternoon at the Tate
Marie F –
I would like to offer my warmest recommendations for this truly excellent London Walk.
I recently did this walk on a hot August afternoon – I was the only person who showed up for the tour and despite my protestations Rick very kindly offered to do a private walk, for only £15 pounds, which was exceptionally kind and shows you how much the London Walks guides truly enjoy their work.
The museum was air-conditioned and a welcome relief from the summer heat. There was also a free cloakroom to store any heavy bags.
The tour took you on a time-travel journey through British art from Renaissance/Tudor art, including Gainsborough and Reynolds, the pre-Raphaelites, Francis Bacon and Henry Moore. There was also a beautiful mural from an artist who depicted the heartbreak of the Grenfell tower fire.
A truly immersive and wonderfully fulfilling afternoon.
Christoph Karner –
Rick’s Tate Britain tour was phantastic.
He explained many historical and artistic contexts and got to the heart of the matter in a way that only real professionals and enthusiasts can.
Something you rarely find.
By the way, he is a very likeable and open personality.
I immediately booked two more tours with him.
Anwar –
Very enjoyable and informative tour. Highly recommended
Melanie Goodwin –
Another great tour led by Rick. I learnt so much about so much more than just the paintings which really added to my appreciation of them. Highly recommend
John Haagensen –
Rick’s tour was informative and fun
Kate Lye –
An excellent tour in which Rick Jones connected people, passions, intrigues and historic moments through the Tate collection. Thank you