London is the capital of painting museums in Europe.
Here you'll find heavyweights like the British Museum, the National Gallery and Tate Modern.
But London's smaller museums offer a quiet glimpse into the city's rich art history.
Today, we focus on these less popular urban spots.
Painting museum in London: article summary
Painting museum in London: Dennis Severs' house
Dennis Sever's House, located in a Georgian townhouse in London, is a unique museum.
It takes visitors on a captivating journey back to the 18th century, through the life of a family of weavers.
The museum gives the impression that the family has temporarily left home, inviting guests to explore the rooms.
The venue creates a sense of authenticity in every room with period-specific furniture, objects and smells, leaving visitors completely immersed in the experience.
Dennis Severs, an American artist, acquired the house in the 1970s. He spent years transforming it into its current state, contributing to the magic of the museum.
The House Museum
The House Museum, located in East London, formerly known as the Geffrye Museum, strives to provide visitors with a historical perspective on the living space of British households from the 1600s to the present day.
Once visitors enter the exhibition halls, they are transported to various rooms. These reflect the lifestyles of various social classes through the ages.
The museum faithfully recreates each piece, from Victorian coal-fired fireplaces to the simple living rooms of the 2000s.
The museum offers an authentic insight into the past life of ordinary Londoners, not easily accessible in other museums.
Painting museum in London: the John Soane Museum
The Sir Museum John Soane is a wonderful little museum in London. Located at Lincoln's Inn Fields, this impressive museum bears witness to thehe creative vision of Sir John Soane.
Leaving behind his legacy of the 1800s, the house remains as he kept it, and is brimming with drawings, objects, paintings and furniture designed by him and drawn from art history.
As a prominent architect of the early 19th century, Soane's house includes many of his designs. You'll also find a number of architectural marvels and intriguing lighting in the space itself.
The museum even houses such wonders as an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus once destined for the British Museum.
The Wallace Collection
Although not exactly small, the Wallace Collection in Marylebone a with its art collection.
The museum, housed in a large town house, displays works of art and objects from the 15th to the 19th century, offering a glimpse of the opulence of aristocratic life during this period.
With its sumptuous furnishings, ornate tapestries and priceless paintings, the Wallace collection recreates a world of elegance and style. of decadence that had previously been the exclusive domain of noble families.
A small palace filled with period paintings
Conceived as a house, it looks more like a palace, with an astonishing range of works on display in every room, transporting visitors to a different era in each room.
The museum's founder, Sir Richard Wallace, was a collector and philanthropist with a passion for the creative arts. a space where people could discover the beauty of art and history all in one place.
The Wallace Collection houses some masterpieces of Rococo and Baroque art in a relatively small London museum.
Painting museum in London: The Courtauld Gallery
Somerset House is home to the Courtauld Gallery, an exceptional little museum filled to the brim with paintings from the Renaissance to modernism.
Industrialist and art lover Samuel Courtauld founded the museum in 1932 with the intention of make his works available to the public.
The original collection featured a variety of 19th-century masterpieces, including works by renowned artists such as Van Gogh and Cézanne.
The museum has since expanded its collection with some remarkable pieces such as Rubens, Gauguin and Manet.
Leighton House Museum
The Leighton House Museum in Holland Park was once the home and studio of the famous Victorian artist Frederic Lord Leighton.
Today, it houses a vast collection of art, sculpture and decorative arts. Leighton created a sumptuous Arab room based on his orientalist interests and filled the rest of his house with works of art by his 19th-century contemporaries.
Following a recent refurbishment, Leighton House Museum now boasts additional exhibition space, new staircases and a magnificent café, ideal for grabbing a quick bite or relaxing with a cup of tea.
Painting museum in London: Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery
Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery, located in Ealing, London, is a charming little museum comprising a gallery space and the home of John Soane.
The famous architect Sir John Soane owned another house in Ealing. This neoclassical house was built in the early 1800s and has been served as a country retreat.
The magnificent interior design is still intact, with incredible plasterwork on the ceiling one of the highlights.
The gallery also hosts temporary exhibitions by major artists, often from the contemporary art scene who create an interesting contrast to the estate's neoclassical style.
It's a fun and easy way to discover heritage and the arts close to central London.
It's not hard to find a museum with incredible paintings in London. During your visit, don't hesitate to take a detour to discover these incredible places!
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