Tate holds the national collection of British art from 1500 to the present day and international modern

and
contemporary art.
The collection embraces all media, from painting, drawing, sculpture and prints to photography, video and film,
installation and performance.

Scope of the collection

Tate seeks to represent significant developments in art, in all areas within its remit, with artworks of outstanding quality
and importance.
British art is represented by artists chosen for their contribution to its history and development, rather than their
nationality alone.
While it has traditionally focused on art from Western Europe and North America, Tate has recently expanded its
holdings of modern and contemporary artworks from Latin America, South-East Asia and Eastern Europe.

The collection on display

The collection is on display at Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives and around the world in
temporary and long term exhibitions, via loans. Tate rotates the displays at all its sites, giving exposure to as much of
the collection as possible.

Collection displays at Tate

The collection online

Enjoy the collection online in our art and artists pages. Every work in the collection has its own page, most illustrated with
good quality images. Watch slideshows, browse, search, follow themes and learn about the artworks and art movements.
Where work is currently on display at Tate this is indicated. We also publish information on works that are part of the
fabric of Tate gallery buildings.
The digitisation of the Tate collection was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fundand Big Lottery Fund.

The collection on request

Works on paper can be viewed by appointment in the Prints and Drawings Rooms at Tate Britain, which also houses
the Turner collection.
Anyone can access Tates Archive, which includes the gallerys institutional records and a wealth of material relating to
the collection, such as notebooks, sketches, prints and press cuttings. Tate Librarys unique collection covers British art
from 1500 and international art from 1900 to the present day. It includes artists books, exhibition and collection
catalogues, journals and various publications. Both can be accessed in the Reading Rooms at Tate Britain.