The capital city has always enjoyed a prestigious position in art history. British artists like Turner, Sir Joshua Reynolds and George Stubbs have always had a significant link to London and are renowned worldwide as great artists. The capital city with its parks, diverse population and of course the River Thames have always fascinated artists, in fact the French Impressionist Monet painted some of his most well known works next to the Thames. Recently, as well, the London Art Gallery has grown in stature among the art establishment. Britain has always produced great artists and London has often been at the centre of that. Movements like Pop Art are firmly rooted in the art schools of 1960's London and artists like Stanley Spencer, John Nash and Richard Hamilton are regarded as some of the 20th century's finest artists. London could be described as dominating the art world. But that dominance has been threatened on several occasions and often the London Art Gallery has looked to be falling behind the times. In the 1950's artists in America led by Jackson Pollock became well known for their 'action painting'. A style of working that developed into Abstract Expressionism. It was during this period that the art market moved its focus from the London Art Gallery to galleries in New York and East Coast America. Any London Art Gallery that wanted to compete in this new market found it hard to get hold of the work and although paintings by Mark Rothko and Hans Hoffman did appear in London and had an influence on may artists of the day. Perhaps the biggest development in the art world in recent years has been the emergence of New British Art. This new stable of artists has had a huge impact on the worldwide art market and as a consequence the London Art Gallery has taken on more importance and once again found itself at the forefront of painting, sculpture and performance art. Led by Damien Hirst the new British artists have embraced movements like Pop, Dada and Surrealism and have created something new and exciting. Works by Sam Taylor Wood, the Chapman brothers and Tracey Emin are now being sold for six figure sums in the world's auction houses and galleries. This new lease of life has also had an impact on the role of the London Art Gallery and they are now being seen as a place to find new art and rediscover old art. Along with this they are also attracting some of the biggest names in art and some of the most successful touring exhibitions are either launched or spend a significant time in London. At the moment the London Art Gallery can take pride in the fact that it has some of the most significant and successful artists on display in its spaces and on its walls. One of the most comprehensive and revealing exhibitions ever put together of Francis Bacon's work can be seen right now at the Tate Britain. The work cover's Bacon's entire careers and features some of his most famous works. There are also photographs and items taken from his studio on displayed which go some way to explaining what influenced some of the pictures and illustrate what was important to the artist. The most ambitious exhibition of Mark Rothko's work is on display at Tate Modern right now. The Tate has always had a strong connection to the artist; they have had a Rothko room for several years filled with paintings he produced for, and then declined to give, the Four Seasons restaurant in New York. With the reputation of the London Art Gallery only getting better it seams that the future is bright for future exhibitions.
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