A Guide To London's Lesser Known Art Galleries

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Early 20th Century Italian. Famous for its "Futurism" paintings.

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Set in a beautiful Grade II listed Georgian building, you'll find six galleries on three floors with more than 120 paintings, drawings, watercolours, prints and sculptures. If you know your Italian art, you'll recognise some of the artists' works on show: Giacomo Balla, Umberto Boccioni and Ardengo Soffici to name a few. Even if you don't, you'll like the incredible library, with more than 2,000 books on 20th century Italian art to help you learn more. Like every art gallery worth its salt, it has a fine shop as well as a café (serving espresso and lattes, naturally) to hang out in afterwards. American collector, Eric Estorick (1913-1993), who generously donated the works to the museum which takes his name, sold paintings to many Hollywood stars including Lauren Bacall and Burt Lancaster, and even had a stint arranging art exhibitions for Marks and Spencers in the early 1950s

“One of the finest collections of early 20th century Italian art anywhere in the world" - Sir Nicholas Serota, Director of Tate

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Old masters including Canaletto, Rembrandt and Gainsborough. However, they also have temporary exhibitions featuring new and emerging artists.

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The world’s first purpose built public art gallery is still blazing a trail more than 200 years after first opening its doors. Originally commissioned for a king, instead the collection was handed over to an independent charity by founders Noel Desenfans and Sir Francis Bourgeois, so that it could be enjoyed by the public. Set in perfectly landscaped grounds, this gallery survived being bombed during WWII and has undergone frequent renovations since then.

Strange but true: Sir John Soane’s design for the top of the mausoleum at the gallery is said to have inspired Giles Gilbert Scott’s iconic red telephone box box. They have a classic phone box in the grounds so you can judge for yourself.

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Contemporary visual art and education. Exhibitions have included influential installation British artist Shelagh Wakely and residencies so you can see works in progress.

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Contemporary art exhibitions and live art events. The Nina Stewart Artist Residency sees recent graduates take over the gallery to showcase their new work.

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This free gallery, which is run by the SLG charity, includes works by Modern British artists along with a collection of 20th Century prints works relating to the local area. Founded in 1891 as a "gallery for the people of south London open to the public free, and on Sundays", the local community still plays a big part here. A recent project saw art being taken out to the surrounding area in the form of a pop up shop on a neighbouring estate. The gallery is almost a work of art itself. It combines the original Victorian Grade II listed building (made from Portland stone and hand-made pressed bricks) with an award-winning extension of light-filled rooms.

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London-themed and Victorian art, particularly pre-Raphaelite.

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No other London art gallery has the ruins of a Roman Amphitheatre in the basement, but despite its lively history, the Guildhall Gallery is quite often appreciated for being a peaceful haven in the middle of the City. The main collection, amassed by the City of London Corporation over many years, is quite classically Victorian, but there are also more modern pieces and regular cutting-edge exhibitions. The paintings show some quite vivid recreations of London events, like Tower Bridge opening and the Lord Mayor’s Show, and you get the added bonus of seeing the atmospheric amphitheatre, too.

Strange but true: One of the UK’s largest paintings, The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, was so big (458 square feet) the gallery actually had to be designed to fit it in.

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An unusual space hosting exhibitions, installations and performance - expect the unexpected.

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In a former life. this gallery was (and technically still is) a crypt and an air raid shelter. There are still more than 500 bodies buried in the crypt (the last was 71-year-old Harry Pearce on October 27th 1854), which give it a very unique atmosphere, heavy on the architecture. The Crypt itself retains all the original features, and as a result it's often used as the backdrop to a huge range of exhibitions and shows - there's no agenda here, so check the website to see what's on.

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Collections of beautiful, vivid photographs.

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Tucked away behind Oxford Street, this was the first gallery in the world dedicated solely to photography (it opened in 1971), and it continues to be the leading venue for photography in the UK. The annual programme of solo and group exhibitions, from both new and established international photographers, is second to none. You can also buy works from over 35 internationally acclaimed photographers in their dedicated Print Sale Gallery. If you're looking for rare or unusual photography publications you'll find them in the shop, and there's also a cafe onsite too if you need a quick drink.

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Contemporary. Past influential British artists have included Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and Gilbert and George.

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These commercial galleries in London appeal to a much broader audience than just art collectors, and the exhibitions aim to be accessible to all. The original concept was to create an intimate space where an artist could present a single important or a body of work within a focused environment, and this has carried on at all their locations. In fact, the White Cube's other collections in São Paulo and Hong Kong, together with the London spaces, have become some of the most influential galleries of the last two decades. The newest and largest is White Cube Bermondsey (2011) which has three major exhibition spaces as well as private viewing rooms, office space, a warehouse, an auditorium and a bookshop.

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Renowned for its eighteenth-century French paintings, as well as work by Rubens and Rembrandt. Unusually, it's also home to an armoury.

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There are 25 galleries packed into this townhouse, all of them full of art left to the nation by the widow of Sir Richard Wallace  in 1897. In September 2014, The Great Gallery, home to one of the finest collections of Old Master paintings in the world, is reopening following a major two-year refurbishment. It features paintings like Hals’ iconic "The Laughing Cavalier", now showcased with natural light. The gallery might look very traditional, but it's far from stuffy and has brought itself bang up to date with accessible exhibits.

Contemporary visual arts and photography.

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Contemporary.

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Contemporary, but literally anything goes. You can see art and sculpture installations, or join in with their supper clubs and other pop-up events.

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Set in an old Edwardian police station, this kind of DIY arts centre, home to 45 artist studios. The low-fi artist-run space is incredibly popular with students shows, but it is the location that gives it that dynamic twist. From the old fingerprint room to the holding cells; each feature is used to its most atmospheric effect. The old soundproof audio interview room is cunningly used as a 24-hour online radio station.

What are your favourite London art galleries?

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