The Tate Gallery, renamed Tate Britain, has reopened with an exhibition titled «John Ruskin, Turner and the pre-Raphaelites» due to last until May 29th 2000. The Neo-baroque building, inaugurated in 1897, was emptied of its modern art collections, which have been transferred to the Tate Modern Museum, created in the old Bankside electric factories facing St Paul cathedral and due to open on May 12th.
Tate Britain now houses collections of British art from 1500 until nowadays but only three-quarters of its surface will be opened to the public, the remainder being under restoration work until 2001.
There is however some confusion in the presentation of works as modern pieces are often shown alongside old works in a somewhat provocative way. Only Gainsborough and William Blake are being spared such treatment whereas works by Ron Kitaj or Stanley Spencer are notably confronting those by Fussli. As a result visitors must have a good knowledge of British art to really appreciate what they see.
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