new stomping grounds

The sun emerged from behind the clouds today so I ventured out to experience more of the London art world.  My first visit was to the Tate Britain.  Wandering through this museum's galleries made me feel as though I were in a time capsule.  In one room, I was gazing upon a 16th century portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, and, in the next, I was studying cutting-edge British contemporary art.

While the collection at the Tate spanned the centuries, it was relatively small, so, when we finished, we decided to take the tube to Chelsea to do some more exploring.  As we emerged from the underground at Sloane Square, I realized that we had stumbled upon the Saatchi Gallery.  This preeminent contemporary gallery was certainly on my bucket list of places to visit in London so I was eager to go inside.  

Compared to the institution-like feeling of larger art museums, the Saatchi felt rather intimate and highly interactive.  I was especially pleased to see young artists deeply involved in their own art-making on the gallery's floors. 

After completing our tour of this site, we continued down King's Road to do some window-shopping.  To top off this perfect day, we came across the world's only Anthropologie shoe boutique.

In my opinion, art at it's finest.