10 Famous Paintings in Tate Britain

1. Ofélie by John Everett Millais, 1851
2. The Lament for Icarus by Herbert James Draper, 1898
3. Proserpine by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1874
4. The Great Day of His Wrath by John Martin, 1851
5. Christ in the House of His Parents by John Everett Millais, 1849
6. Hope by George Frederic Watts, 1886
7. Mariana by John Everett Millais, 1851
8. Steam-Boat off a Harbour's Mouth by William Turner, 1842
9. Chatterton by Henry Wallis, 1856
10. The Annunciation by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1849

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   John Everett Millais (1829–1896)

   1. Ofélie by John Everett Millais, 1851

   76.2 × 111.8 cm1851Oil on canvasTate Britain, Londýn

   „Ofélie“Sir Jana Everetta Millaise, namalovaná v letech 1851–52, není pouze ztvárněním tragické shakespearovské scény; je to imerzivní zážitek – pečlivě sestavované tableau smutku a krásy, které i přes století působí na diváky stejně fascinujícím způsobem. Millaisův genialita nespočívá pouze v jeho technických dovednostech – ačkoliv jsou nepochybně neuvěřitelné – ale v jeho schopnosti vyvolat atmosféru hmatatelného žalku.

   Hand-painted copy from $170 Canvas print from $42

   See this paintingAll paintings by John Everett Millais

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   Herbert James Draper (1863–1920)

   2. The Lament for Icarus by Herbert James Draper, 1898

   155.6 × 182.9 cm1898Oil on canvasTate Britain, Londýn

   Draper, a virtuoso of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, utilizes a rich and vibrant palette to breathe life into this ancient tale. The dramatic movement and rich colorways are particularly suited for spaces designed to inspire contemplation and awe.

   Hand-painted copy from $170 Canvas print from $42

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   Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828–1882)

   3. Proserpine by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1874

   6 × 125 cm1874Oil on canvasTate Britain, Londýn

   The central image—Proserpine consuming a pomegranate—is laden with symbolic weight. The pomegranate, a fruit associated with both fertility and death, represents Proserpine's forced captivity. Morris's pose—looking directly at the viewer—creates a powerful sense of intimacy, drawing us into Proserpine’s sorrowful gaze. WahooArt offers meticulously crafted hand-painted reproductions of "Proserpine," ensuring that the painting’s original beauty and nuance are faithfully preserved.

   Hand-painted copy from $170 Canvas print from $42

   See this paintingAll paintings by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

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   John Martin (1789–1854)

   4. The Great Day of His Wrath by John Martin, 1851

   303 × 196 cm1851Oil on canvasTate Britain, Londýn

   The scene captures the precise moment of biblical apocalypse, where the heavens fracture and the earth itself seems to dissolve into fire and shadow. Scholars often suggest that the painting was influenced by the rapid industrialization of England; the sight of the "Black Country" with its fiery furnaces and dark, soot-covered skies likely provided a contemporary mirror to the biblical destruction of Babylon.

   Hand-painted copy from $170 Canvas print from $42

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   John Everett Millais (1829–1896)

   5. Christ in the House of His Parents by John Everett Millais, 1849

   39 × 86 cm1849Oil on canvasTate Britain, Londýn

   The scene portrays Jesus’s apprenticeship with Joseph, emphasizing familial bonds and laboring devotion. Notably, Millais incorporated elements from Tennyson's poem “Mariana,” including a carpenter’s triangle and a depiction of the Annunciation window—a conscious effort to engage viewers intellectually and emotionally. Critics denounced Millais for undermining the sanctity of religious imagery by presenting Jesus as an ordinary man, highlighting the Pre-Raphaelites’ audacious challenge to established artistic norms.

   Hand-painted copy from $220 Canvas print from $42

   See this paintingAll paintings by John Everett Millais

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   George Frederic Watts (1817–1904)

   6. Hope by George Frederic Watts, 1886

   111 × 142 cm1886Oil on canvasTate Britain, Londýn

   The piece immediately draws the viewer in with its muted palette – predominantly deep blues, browns, and greys—creating an atmosphere of contemplative melancholy. The piece aligns with Watts’ broader project of creating a “House of Life,” a series of allegorical paintings intended to represent the totality of human experience.

   Hand-painted copy from $170 Canvas print from $42

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   John Everett Millais (1829–1896)

   7. Mariana by John Everett Millais, 1851

   49 × 59 cm1851OilTate Britain, Londýn

   The use of light is particularly noteworthy; it’s diffused and soft, bathing the scene in a melancholic glow that enhances the painting's overall mood. Loose and expressive, particularly evident in the rendering of the foliage and the texture of the fabrics. Furthermore, the reference to Tennyson’s poem adds another layer of interpretation.

   Hand-painted copy from $170 Canvas print from $42

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   William Turner (1775–1851)

   8. Steam-Boat off a Harbour's Mouth by William Turner, 1842

   91 × 122 cm1842Oil on canvasTate Britain, Londýn

   There’s no single source of illumination; instead, light seems to emanate from within the swirling forms themselves, creating a sense of otherworldly luminescence. It reflects Turner’s fascination with industrialization – symbolized by the steam-boat – and its potential impact on the natural world. Turner's influence on subsequent generations of artists is undeniable.

   Hand-painted copy from $170 Canvas print from $42

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   Henry Wallis (1830–1916)

   9. Chatterton by Henry Wallis, 1856

   62.2 × 93.3 cm1856Oil on canvasTate Britain, Londýn

   In the 1856 painting "Chatterton" by Henry Wallis, the subject is the 17-year-old English early Romantic poet Thomas Chatterton. The work portrays the young man after he poisoned himself with arsenic in 1770. In 1854, he produced Shakespeare’s House, a work that depicts the town of Stratford-upon-Avon with precision.

   Hand-painted copy from $170 Canvas print from $42

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    Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828–1882)

    10. The Annunciation by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1849

    41 × 72 cm1849Oil on canvasTate Britain, Londýn

    This daring approach distinguishes it from its predecessors and establishes Rossetti as a pioneer of psychological depth within religious painting. Executed in oil paint on canvas, “The Annunciation” exemplifies the meticulous craftsmanship characteristic of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Created in 1849-50, “The Annunciation” emerged during a period marked by intellectual ferment—the Victorian era witnessed burgeoning interest in psychology and the exploration of inner experience.

    Hand-painted copy from $170 Canvas print from $42

    See this paintingAll paintings by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Tate Britain (National Gallery of British Art, Tate Gallery, Národní galerie britského umění) — umělecké muzeum — in Londýn, Spojené království. Its collection counts přes 500 let britského umění. Its highlights: Pejzáže J.M.W. Turnera, Středověké iluminované rukopisy, Henry Moore a Barbara Hepworth, The Lady of Shalott od Waterhousea. Our catalogue lists 326 of its paintings and works on paper, by 135 artists, dated 1545 to 2014.