Staff writer Mina Yasar reviews some of the best museums to visit in London and what they have to offer; from thousands of old artworks to art courses and lectures.
I love visiting museums in winter. While its raining in outside, I love to get my coat and go to a museum in London and spend hours seeing the collections and exhibitions. London hosts a lot of different art institutions, museums and galleries. If you are staying in London for the winter, these are three museums that you should visit before 2022 ends.
The National Gallery
The National Gallery is located in Trafalgar Square, one of the best places to visit near Strand campus. The museum is open daily, and entry is free. It is possible to visit the museum virtually, however I recommend visiting in person since the collection consists of masterpieces. The museum’s building also drew my attention – for people who are interested in architectural history, this building is a must-see. It is a neoclassical building built in 1832-1838 and the architect of the museum is William Wilkins.
The collection of the museum consists artworks like “Bathers at La Grenouillére” of Monet, “Bathers at Asnières” of Seurat, “The Hay Wain” of John Constable. I really like the paintings of John Constable so if you visit the museum, you should see his artwork. The collection consists more than 2,600 paintings, including works of famous painters like Cézanne, Titian, Jean-François Milet, Rubens and many more. There are daily guided tours that you can book from the website and there are online or in-person educational events happening in museum related to their current exhibitions or permanent collection. I also recommend for you to attend one of the online art seminars.
Victoria and Albert Museum
I love visiting different museums but if I had a list of favorites, V&A would absolutely be in my top ten. It was established in the 19th century and located in South Kensington. The museum’s website is very interesting, you can visit the collection ranging from costumes to manuscripts virtually. The museum’s collection is an interesting visit for fashion lovers since it consists of pieces from Alexander McQueen to Vivienne Westwood. Visitors can also see artworks from Andy Warhol, Katsushika Hokusai, J.M.W. Turner, and many more artists both virtually and in person. V&A also has an academy in which you cam attend online or in-person art history courses, or practical courses. There are also some free taster online courses to attend.
The British Museum
Entry to the British Museum is free and the visitors have the chance to book and plan their visits from the website. Archaeology lovers should visit The British Museum – it consists of an Egyptian Sculpture Gallery and the Sainsbury African Galleries, as well as pieces from the Ancient Roman Empire, Ancient Greece, Mexico, China, Medieval Europe and many more places. If you love to see remains and artworks from different cultures, you should visit this museum. There are lectures and online events, short courses and study rooms in British museum. So if you are interested in these, I think you should check their website every week to stay updated.
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