Explore the Katja and Nicolai Tangen 20th Century Gallery

The painting offers a disorienting scene of partially constructed floor levels, jutting beams and extremes of light and dark. Auerbach’s use of red throughout the work gives fiery intensity to the painting, as if we are witness to an intense, almost hellish, vision. i Frank Auerbach (born 1931), Rebuilding the Empire Cinema, Leicester Square , 1962, Accepted by HM Government in Lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to The Samuel Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Trust, The Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Gallery in 2015. © Frank Auerbach, courtesy Marlborough Fine Art, London.

This beautifully restored gallery on the 3rd Floor stages carefully curated displays from The Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµâ€™s collection of 20³Ù³óÌýcentury works of art. Highlights on display include the long-term loan of a remarkable painting by Leon Kossoff, Shell Building Site, 1962, and Halsetown, 1961, by Peter Lanyon.

The display also showcases the loan of a wonderful group of paintings by Patrick Heron, William Scott and Walter Sickert. These hang together with major paintings from The Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµâ€™s collection such as Frank Auerbach’s monumental Rebuilding the Empire Cinema.

From 6 May 2025, the display of 20th century British art will temporarily close to make way for a visiting collection, The Barber in London: Highlights from a remarkable collection.ÌýThe Barber’s collection will be on display from 23 May 2025 – 22 Feb 2026, wi³Ù³óÌýa selection of works from The Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ’s 20th century collection returning spring 2026.

 

Visit the Bloomsbury Room

Also on the 3rd Floor is a space dedicated to the work of the Bloomsbury Group, a collective of early 20³Ù³óÌýcentury avant-garde artists who ran an influential design company called the Omega Workshops. This room is decorated to evoke the Group’s aesthetic and offers a rich display of  paintings, drawings, furniture and ceramics.

image of the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ's great room showing paintings of Cezanne on the wall

Plan your visit

Find all the information you need ahead of your visit to The Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Gallery from admission prices to how to get here and more.

painting of a woman bartender looking straight ahead

Collection, The Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Gallery, What's On Highlights

Visit the permanent collection

Open Daily, 10:00 - 18:00

You can now book your visit to see our much-loved collection of masterpieces ranging from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.

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