London stands as one of the world’s premier destinations for art lovers, housing some of humanity’s greatest masterpieces across its renowned galleries and unexpected street corners. From Renaissance portraits to contemporary street art, the city offers an incredible journey through art history. Here are 11 world-famous artworks you can experience in London.
1. The Water-Lily Pond – Claude Monet
Part of Monet’s celebrated series of around 250 paintings depicting his flower garden in Giverny, this masterpiece features the iconic Japanese bridge that became a recurring motif in the French Impressionist’s Water Lilies collection.
Location: The National Gallery
Address: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
Admission: Free
Website: nationalgallery.org.uk
2. Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave) – Katsushika Hokusai
Created by Japan’s most celebrated artist between 1830-1832, this iconic woodblock print is part of the groundbreaking series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.” The Great Wave has become one of the most recognizable images in art history.
Location: Young V&A
Address: Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PA
Admission: Free
Website: vam.ac.uk
3. Sunflowers – Vincent van Gogh
One of five versions of Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers displayed in galleries worldwide, this painting perfectly captures the Dutch post-impressionist’s signature expressive style and his fascination with the symbolic flower.
Location: The National Gallery
Address: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
Admission: Free
Website: nationalgallery.org.uk
4. The Arnolfini Portrait – Jan van Eyck
Considered one of the most complex and mysterious paintings in Western art, this Early Netherlandish masterpiece may depict Italian merchant Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife. The painting is renowned for its incredible detail and symbolic elements.
Location: The National Gallery
Address: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
Admission: Free
Website: nationalgallery.org.uk
5. Ophelia – Sir John Everett Millais
This Pre-Raphaelite masterpiece depicts the tragic scene from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act IV, Scene VII. Millais’ haunting portrayal of Ophelia’s death has become one of the most recognizable images in British art.
Location: Tate Britain
Address: Millbank, London SW1P 4RG
Admission: Free
Website: tate.org.uk
6. A Bigger Splash – David Hockney
Painted in 1967, this iconic work captures Hockney’s fascination with Californian pool culture. The painting’s clean lines and vibrant colors epitomize the optimistic spirit of 1960s pop art.
Location: Tate Britain
Address: Millbank, London SW1P 4RG
Admission: Free
Website: tate.org.uk
7. Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion – Francis Bacon
This powerful triptych represents the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust through distorted figures inspired by both Christian crucifixion scenes and Greek mythology’s Furies.
Location: Tate Britain
Address: Millbank, London SW1P 4RG
Admission: Free
Website: tate.org.uk
8. The Toilet of Venus (‘The Rokeby Venus’) – Diego Velázquez
This masterpiece by Spain’s greatest Golden Age painter is famous both for its artistic merit and its tumultuous history, having been attacked by suffragette Mary Richardson in 1914 and climate activists in 2023.
Location: The National Gallery
Address: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
Admission: Free
Website: nationalgallery.org.uk
9. The Swing – Jean-Honoré Fragonard
This enchanting Rococo masterpiece perfectly captures the playful elegance of 18th-century French aristocratic life, with its pastel colors and romantic garden setting.
Location: The Wallace Collection
Address: Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN
Admission: Free
Website: wallacecollection.org
10. A Bar at the Folies-Bergère – Édouard Manet
Manet’s final major work captures the atmosphere of Paris’s famous Folies Bergère nightclub through the eyes of a weary barmaid, offering a complex reflection on modern urban life.
Location: The Courtauld Gallery
Address: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN
Website: courtauld.ac.uk
11. Girl with Balloon – Banksy
One of the most iconic works by Britain’s most famous street artist, this simple yet powerful image has appeared in various locations across London. The original stencil on Waterloo Bridge has been painted over, but versions can be found throughout the city.
Location: Various locations (reproductions)
Original location: Former Waterloo Bridge location (now painted over)
Admission: Free (street art)
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