45-701: Tate Britain , known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery , is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in England, with Tate Modern , Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives . Founded by Sir Henry Tate , it houses a substantial collection of the art of
90-453: A ship breaking and timber merchant. Numerous wooden ships of the line of the Royal Navy were dismantled at this location, their ornate figureheads often displayed on the gates and perimeter of the yard walls. Millbank's general appearance today dates from the 1930s, when the area was extensively rebuilt to repair damage caused by the 1928 Thames flood disaster, following the collapse of
135-431: A watermill owned by Westminster Abbey that once stood at a site close to present day College Green . Norden's survey , taken during the reign of Elizabeth I in 1573, records the existence of such a mill although much of the area that comprises Millbank today, was referred to by Samuel Pepys and others as Tothill Fields. Described as a place of plague pits and a "low, marshy locality" suitable for shooting snipe in
180-523: A 25-metre-long section of the Thames Embankment . Millbank shares the name of the main road ( A3212 ) along the north bank of the River Thames , extending northwards from Vauxhall Bridge to Abingdon Street, just south from Parliament Square . There are parliamentary offices situated across this road, notably No.7, built as the headquarters of British American Tobacco . The road was created as part of
225-571: A dedicated room. Tate Britain is the home of the annual and usually controversial Turner Prize exhibition, featuring four artists selected by a jury chaired by the director of Tate Britain. This is spread out over the year with the four nominees announced in May, the show of their work opened in October and the prize itself given in December. Each stage of the prize generates media coverage, and there have also been
270-528: A dedicated schools' entrance and reception beneath its entrance steps on Millbank and a new archive gallery for the presentation of temporary displays. The front entrance is accessible by steps. A side entrance at a lower level has a ramp for wheelchair access. The gallery provides a restaurant and a café, as well as a Friends room, open only to members of the Tate. This membership is open to the public on payment of an annual subscription. As well as administration offices
315-563: A focus of academic study. Millbank Millbank is an area of central London in the City of Westminster . Millbank is located by the River Thames , east of Pimlico and south of Westminster . Millbank is known as the location of major government offices, Burberry headquarters, the Millbank Tower and prominent art institutions such as Tate Britain and the Chelsea College of Art and Design . The area derives its name from
360-510: A number of demonstrations against the prize, notably since 2000 an annual picket by Stuckist artists. In recent years the exhibition and award ceremony have taken place at locations other than in Tate Britain: for example, in Liverpool (2007), Derry (2013), Glasgow (2015) and Hull (2017). Tate Britain has attempted to reach out to a different and younger audience with Late at Tate Britain on
405-541: A public garden. Before the 1997 General Election , the Labour Party acquired two floors of the building as its headquarters. The £1 million annual rent, however, forced the party to vacate the tower in 2001 for 16 Old Queen Street, Westminster. In British politics, the term "Millbank Machine" or "Millbank tendency" (a play on " Militant tendency ") has been linked with the activities of spin doctors . The Conservative Party also formerly had its headquarters, CCHQ , based in
450-562: A quarter of the accommodation is privately rented; half is rented from Westminster City Council and the remainder is owner-occupied. The name was derived from the " hide ", an old English land measure (used in the Domesday Survey of 1086). Millbank Tower is a large, modernistic office complex between the River Thames, Millbank Estate and Tate Britain Gallery. It has several restaurants and
495-590: A river bus along the River Thames , which runs from Millbank Millennium Pier immediately outside Tate Britain. The boat is decorated with spots, based on paintings of similar appearance by Damien Hirst . The lighting artwork incorporated in the pier's structure is by Angela Bulloch . The main display spaces show the permanent collection of historic British art, as well as contemporary work. It has rooms dedicated to works by one artist, such as: Tracey Emin , John Latham , Douglas Gordon , Sam Taylor-Wood , Tacita Dean , and Marcus Gheeraerts II, though these works, like
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#1733085942455540-628: A six-story Neoclassical office building for the Offices of the Crown Agents for the Colonies. This structure has since been converted into multi-let office building with a central, glass-roofed atrium. Hide Tower is a 20-storey building (with an additional walk-up penthouse level) of 162 flats with a garden and a community hall. When built in 1962 it was the tallest all residential building in Europe. Approximately
585-655: A while. Before they parted, Portal remarked, "So we'll probably see each other tomorrow evening." Wistfully, Whistler replied, "I hope so." He was killed on 18 July 1944, after he left his tank to go to the aid of other men in his unit. His body now lies in Section III, Row F, Grave 22 of Banneville-la-Campagne War Cemetery , situated 10 kilometres east of Caen . Reportedly, The Times received more letters about Whistler's death than for any other war victim. A memorial glass engraving by his brother, Laurence Whistler (the Rex prism)
630-466: Is the national gallery of British art from 1500 to the present day. As such, it is the most comprehensive collection of its kind in the world (only the Yale Center for British Art can claim similar expansiveness, but with less depth). More recent artists include David Hockney , Peter Blake and Francis Bacon . Works in the permanent Tate collection, which may be on display at Tate Britain include: When
675-591: Is well connected by buses. Rex Whistler Reginald John "Rex" Whistler (24 June 1905 – 18 July 1944) was a British artist, who painted murals and society portraits, and designed theatrical costumes. He was killed in action in Normandy in World War II . Whistler was the brother of poet and artist Laurence Whistler . Reginald John Whistler was born in England on 24 June 1905, in Eltham , Kent (now part of
720-525: The Chelsea College of Art and Design in 2005. The Tate Britain art gallery (former Tate Gallery ) is directly opposite near the end of Vauxhall Bridge , providing a distinct arts presence in the area. The headquarters of the British chemicals giant ICI was originally located at Imperial Chemical House on Millbank (The Smith Square entrance of which was called Nobel House) before it relocated to Manchester Square , also situated in London. The headquarters for
765-619: The Houses of Parliament . The BBC Parliament broadcasting channel is also situated nearby (intended to broadcast parliamentary and general political coverage on behalf of the BBC ). No.4 is the location commonly used by broadcasters for producing coverage of the Westminster area, including the BBC , Sky News and ITV. Neighbouring College Green is used as a setting for interviewing politicians outdoors. Foreign countries' broadcasters also have bureaus in
810-553: The Northern Ireland Office , MI5 and Thames House are also nearby. On 18 December 1973, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded a bomb on Thorney Street at 8:50am. The bomb resulted in over 50 people injured, including two seriously (see 1973 Westminster bombing ). Millbank Studios reside in the area as an independent broadcast company, owned by ITV . The studio is situated opposite
855-602: The Pre-Raphaelite painter and President of the Royal Academy , John Everett Millais , died in 1896, the Prince of Wales (later to become King Edward VII ) chaired a memorial committee, which commissioned a statue of the artist. The sculpture, by Thomas Brock , was installed at the front of the gallery in the garden on the east side in 1905. On 23 November that year, The Pall Mall Gazette called it "a breezy statue, representing
900-470: The River Thames spilling its banks , and bomb damage during World War II. However, most of the collection was in safe storage elsewhere during the war, and a large Stanley Spencer painting, deemed too big to move, had a protective brick wall built in front of it. In anticipation of the threat to London, more than 700 artworks were secretly transported to Muncaster Castle in Cumbria on 24 August 1939. In 1970,
945-462: The Royal Borough of Greenwich ), the son of architect and estate agent Henry Whistler and Helen Frances Mary, the daughter of Rev. Charles Slegg Ward, vicar of Wootton St Lawrence , and through her mother a descendant of the goldsmith and silversmith Paul Storr . His best known work during the early part of his career was for the former café at the Tate Gallery , completed in 1927 when he
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#1733085942455990-473: The Clore Gallery of 1987, designed by James Stirling , which houses work by J. M. W. Turner . The Clore Gallery has been regarded as an important example of Postmodern architecture , especially in the use of contextual irony: each section of the external facade quotes liberally from the building next to it in regard to materials and detailing. Crises during its existence include flood damage to artworks from
1035-518: The Millbank studio compound. Australian broadcasters ABC, Seven and Nine all have bureaus in the building. Channel Ten (of Australia) used to have an office as well, but it was scrapped due to financial difficulties. Japan's broadcaster NHK has an office in the compound as well. RTÉ News and Current Affairs also have their London bureau at the same location. Millbank Estate is a large but highly regarded Grade II-listed red-brick housing estate that gives
1080-683: The Mountbattens' son-in-law, decorator David Hicks , in his own houses. When war broke out, although he was 35, Whistler was eager to join the army. He was commissioned into the Welsh Guards as a Second lieutenant in June 1940. He served in the Guards Armoured Division . During the war he was the burial officer of his regiment, and his soldiers became somewhat suspicious of the 20 crosses he carried on his tank. He decided that just because he
1125-537: The Sadler's Wells Company in 1940. Whistler's elegance and wit ensured his success as a portrait artist among the fashionable; he painted many members of London society, including Edith Sitwell , Cecil Beaton and other members of the set to which he belonged that became known as the "Bright Young Things" . His murals for Edwina Mountbatten 's 30-room luxury flat in Brook House, Park Lane, London were later installed by
1170-451: The Tate. In 2000 the statue was removed to the rear of the building. Starting in 1990, oil company BP began a sponsorship of Tate Britain, which was to become 'the longest and most consistent sponsorship of any permanent art collection in the UK' according to the Tate itself. Although BP renewed its support in 2011, offering a fresh commitment to last a further decade, the following year BP announced
1215-465: The Thames Embankment in the mid 19th century and lies above a large interceptor sewer. The former Royal Army Medical College , situated at Millbank, is the site where the vaccine for typhoid was first developed, and in the late 19th century, was where the world's first modern prison ( Millbank Prison ) was established. The listed site has since been renovated as a purpose-built arts college for
1260-470: The United Kingdom since Tudor times, and in particular has large holdings of the works of J. M. W. Turner , who bequeathed all his own collection to the nation. It is one of the largest museums in the country. The museum had 525,144 visitors in 2021, an increase of 34 percent from 2020 but still well below pre- COVID-19 pandemic levels. In 2021 it ranked 50th on the list of most-visited art museums in
1305-436: The architects Caruso St John and included a total of nine new galleries, with reinforced flooring to accommodate heavy sculptures. A second part was unveiled later that year, the centrepiece being the reopening of the building's Thames-facing entrance as well as a new spiral staircase beneath its rotunda. The circular balcony of the rotunda's domed atrium, closed to visitors since the 1920s, was reopened. The gallery also now has
1350-416: The area behind Tate Britain a distinct character. The estate was built between 1897 and 1902, the bricks being recycled from Millbank Prison , which had closed in 1890. The 17 buildings, comprising one of London's earliest social housing schemes, are named after distinguished painters such as Turner, Gainsborough, Millais, etc. The estate has 562 flats, all managed on behalf of Westminster City Council by MEMO,
1395-731: The building complex houses the Prints and Drawings Rooms (in the Clore galleries), as well as the Library and Archive in the Hyman Kreitman Reading Rooms. The restaurant features a mural by Rex Whistler , The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats . Protests over the depiction of the enslavement of Black children and the stereotyping of Chinese figures in the mural has led to the closure of the restaurant. Tate Britain and Tate Modern are now connected by
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1440-473: The building was given Grade II* listed status. In 2012, Tate Britain announced that it had raised the £45 million required to complete a major renovation, largely thanks to a £4.9 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £1 million given by Tate Members. The museum stayed open throughout the three phases of renovation. Completed in 2013, the newly designed sections were conceived by
1485-406: The development of Millbank Prison in 1816, the area was sparsely covered with residential houses, but did feature a distillery by the river owned by a Mr. Hodge and numerous small almshouses , bridewells and pest houses for the poor, criminally inclined and sick. Baltic Wharf, a site just to the north of Vauxhall Bridge , was for much of the 19th century the location of a Henry Castle & Son,
1530-418: The first Friday of every month, with half-price admission to exhibitions, live music and performance art. Other public involvement has included the display of visitors', as opposed to curators', interpretation of certain artworks. Regular free tours operate on the hour, and at 1:15 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday short 15-minute talks are given on paintings, artists and artistic styles. Tate Britain
1575-465: The largest tenant management organisation in Westminster. The estate's management board is elected annually from the resident population. Half of the estate's flats are private leaseholds, the other half are rented from Westminster City Council. The estate's buildings are maintained by a regular works program. In 1914–1916, architects John W. Simpson and Maxwell Ayrton designed and built 4 Millbank,
1620-496: The launch of Tate Modern saw Tate's modern collections move there, while the old Millbank gallery became dedicated to the display of historical and contemporary British art . As a consequence, it was renamed Tate Britain in March 2000. The front part of the building was designed by Sidney R. J. Smith with a classical portico and dome behind, and the central sculpture gallery was designed by John Russell Pope . Tate Britain includes
1665-581: The man in the characteristic attitude in which we all knew him". In 1953, Tate Director, Sir Norman Reid , attempted to have it replaced by Rodin 's John the Baptist , and in 1962 again proposed its removal, calling its presence "positively harmful". His efforts were frustrated by the statue's owner, the Ministry of Works . Ownership was transferred from the Ministry to English Heritage in 1996, and by them in turn to
1710-565: The nearby "bogs and quagmires". After Cromwell's victory at the Battle of Worcester in September 1651, some 4,000 defeated Royalists were imprisoned at Tothill Fields prior to being sold as slaves to merchants trading with Africa and the West Indies. Facilities at the prison camp on the marshy ground were so poor that 1,200 prisoners were recorded as having died in the primitive conditions. Prior to
1755-429: The rest of the collection, are subject to rotation. The gallery also organises career retrospectives of British artists and temporary major exhibitions of British Art. Every three years the gallery stages a Triennial exhibition in which a guest curator provides an overview of contemporary British Art. The 2003 Tate Triennial was called Days Like These . Art Now is a small changing show of a contemporary artist's work in
1800-426: The termination of its support for Tate Britain, blaming the 'extremely challenging business environment'. Although the company denied that the decision was influenced by climate change protests, BP's support for Tate Britain had drawn the attention of activists to the gallery. In 2015, a collective called Liberate Tate had occupied part of Tate Britain and attributed BP's move to climate activism, which has since become
1845-447: The tower. Millbank Millennium Pier is a modern River Thames pier structure. A regular service by a Damien Hirst -designed riverboat connects Tate Britain with Tate Modern . The nearest London Underground stations are Westminster , Pimlico and Victoria . London Victoria station is also a National Rail mainline terminus with an adjacent national coach station . Waterloo and Charing Cross stations are also nearby. Millbank
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1890-580: The world. The gallery is on Millbank , on the site of the former Millbank Prison . Construction, undertaken by Higgs and Hill , commenced in 1893, and the gallery opened on 21 July 1897 as the National Gallery of British Art. However, from the start it was commonly known as the Tate Gallery, after its founder Sir Henry Tate , and in 1932 it officially adopted that name. Before 2000, the gallery housed and displayed both British and modern collections, but
1935-425: Was at war it did not mean he could not paint, and he therefore also carried a bucket hanging off the side of his tank for his paintbrushes. Whistler is said to have predicted his own death. Just days before he was killed, he remarked to a friend that he wanted to be buried where he fell, not in a military cemetery. On the night before his death, a fellow officer named Francis Portal came up to him, and they talked for
1980-542: Was only 22, but now viewed by some as problematic for stereotyped depictions of black and Chinese figures. He was commissioned to produce posters and illustrations for Shell Petroleum and the Radio Times . He also created designs for Wedgwood china based on drawings he made of the Devon village of Clovelly , and costumes "after Hogarth " for the premiere production of William Walton 's ballet The Wise Virgins , produced by
2025-666: Was placed at the Morning Chapel at Salisbury Cathedral . Laurence also wrote a biography of his brother The Laughter and the Urn (1985). Whistler's death is mentioned in a letter to Alec Guinness in Sir John Gielgud A Life in Letters , edited by Richard Mangan (Arcade Publishing 2004), p. 75. Gielgud notes that "Whistler's death is a major tragedy" adding that "He wanted to prove that 'artists can be tough' and alas, he has done so—but
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