Guildhall Art Gallery

The Guildhall Art Gallery stands in the City of London near the historic Guildhall. Its semi-Gothic stone building connects internally to the adjacent Guildhall. The gallery houses the City of London’s art collection, begun in 1670 with portraits for the Guildhall. The collection grew through gifts and bequests, including over a hundred paintings from Charles Gassiot in 1902. Works by artists such as John Everett Millais and James Tissot form part of the Victorian art collection. A notable highlight is John Singleton Copley’s large painting of the Battle of Gibraltar in the entrance hall. The gallery also preserves remains of London’s Roman amphitheatre in its basement. Visitors find rooms filled with history paintings, portraits, and landscapes. The building was rebuilt in 1999 by architect Richard Gilbert Scott after wartime destruction. Vivien Knight, former gallery head, helped shape its modern identity. The surroundings include the Guildhall’s ceremonial spaces and the Roman ruins below.