THE BIG CITY EXHIBITION

Guildhall Art Gallery, Until 30th July 2023

Celebrating extraordinary artists who paint London on a huge scale, The Big City: London celebrates monumental painters of the capital and showcases some of the largest paintings in the Gallery’s collection.

Guildhall Art Gallery is home to one of the most extensive collections of London paintings in the world and hosts one of the largest oil paintings on display in the UK - John Singleton Copley’s ‘Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar’ (1783–1791), measuring 7.5 x 5.4 metres.

these huge masterpieces together in one space. Join a Guildhall Art Gallery volunteer for a 45 minute tour* of The Big City and discover how London’s power and prestige has been displayed on oversized canvases and discover important moments recorded on a huge scale. *Kindly note that these tours take place on selected dates and require a separate ticket, available from the Gallery online shop.

The Details

The Guildhall Exhibition is one of multiple events that form City of London’s Summer in the City Guide. The guide has just launched alongside Destination City, City of London’s first destination brand and website dedicated to showcasing the City’s world class culture, heritage, experiences, food & drink etc. Please visit thecityofldn.com/events /summer-in-the-city

This awe-inspiring exhibition includes many pieces not normally on public display, including rarely seen works by Frank O. Salisbury, Terence Cuneo and David Hepher. A new painting, ‘Pomp and Circumstance Adversus’, by British contemporary artist Dan Llywelyn Hall, has captured the grandeur of King Charles III’s procession. The painting is now presented exclusively in the gallery as a part of The Big City exhibition.

Sir Grayson Perry’s ‘Animal Spirit’ has also been officially installed at the gallery thanks to a donation by Hamish Parker. The work, which measures a substantial 1.94 x 2.42m, is displayed in the permanent City Gallery and joins other supersize paintings as part of the programme for the current exhibition.

A unique opportunity to view so many of

Admission to ‘The Big City’ exhibition is on a “Pay What You Can basis”. You can pay as much or as little as you like for your ticket or visit for free. Income from this exhibition will help the Gallery to put on new public exhibitions and support their education and conservation programmes.

Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Yard, London EC2V 5AE guildhall.cityoflondon.gov.uk