THE NATIONAL GALLERY, the Tate Galleries (Britain and Modern), the Wallace Collection, Kenwood House, The Courtauld, the Royal Academy, the Barbican Gallery, the Hayward Gallery, Whitechapel Art Gallery, Dulwich Art Gallery, and the Victoria and Albert Museum are all well-known places in London where art lovers can view fine pictures and other artworks. However, these are only the tip of the iceberg. London has a huge number of less well-known places where great art can be enjoyed.

First, there are the commercial art galleries, many of them, but not all, in Mayfair. Among those which I visit often are Thaddeus Ropac, Annely Juda Fine Art, Pace, David Zwirner, Waddington Custot, White Cube (both in Mayfair and Bermondsey), Beers London (near the Barbican), Lisson Gallery, Gagosian, Richard Greene, Grosvenor, Hause & Wirth, Victoria Miro, and Goodmans. There are others, but those listed are the ones I visit most. At these locations, modern and contemporary art can be viewed and, if you have plenty of spare cash, purchased.

Other interesting places to view art of all types and from all eras are the auction houses. Christies, Sotheby’s, Bonhams, and Phillips, all in Mayfair, hold exhibitions of art works that are going to be auctioned. Many of these pieces have been offered for sale by private collectors or their descendants, and have never been seen by the public. Seeing them prior to the auction is a precious experience because many of them will return to private collectors after the auction, and will once again be hidden from general view.

Another place that deserves visitors is the South London Gallery in Peckham Road, London SE5 8UH. Part of the former Camberwell School of Art, it has an annex nearby in a former fire station. Today, 24 July 2026, we visited an exhibition, “Encantados”, which was a collection of paintings by the Brazilian artist Paulo Nimer Pjota, who was born in 1988.

Pjota’s intricately executed, colourful paintings hang in the gallery’s large rectangular space. The wall space between, above, and below the paintings contain drawings, which were specially executed for the show by the artist. Thus, the whole room, paintings and walls, has been transformed into an artwork. The large paintings are populated with depictions of mythical creatures and fantastic plant forms. Although occasionally weird, the paintings are generally joyous, and uplifting to behold. The exhibition continues until 23 August 2026, and should not be missed.

By confining oneself to the best-known venues listed in the first paragraph, one will certainly see great art, but will miss hidden gems such as the pictures I saw today at the South London Gallery.