Life in the UK: 10 Famous British Artists

Suitable for intermediate CEFR B1+

If you’re applying for citizenship in the UK, it’s important to know about art as part of British culture and heritage. Art is also a great topic of conversation for English learners because it often divides opinions! This article will provide a summary of 10 of the most famous British artists, but first a little of British art history.


It is thought that British art from the middle ages had a mostly religious theme, but unfortunately much was lost during the Protestant Reformation. During the 16^th and 17^th Centuries, most artists working throughout The British Isles were from Europe. British artists that painted both portraits and landscapes became popular from the 18^th Century onwards.


Paintings and sculptures by British and international artists are displayed in art galleries and museums all over the UK including The Tate Britain, The Tate Modern, The National Gallery, The National Museum in Cardiff and The National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh. The Tate Britain is home to The Turner Prize, established in 1984, to celebrate contemporary art. Each year four works are shortlisted and displayed there before a winner is announced. Previous winners have included Damien Hirst and Richard Wright.


This is by no means a complete list, but it’s a pretty good starting point and they are all in the syllabus for those studying for the Life in the UK Test. Artists are listed in chronological order.

1. Thomas Gainsborough (1727- 1788)

Thomas Gainsborough was a portrait painter who typically painted people in garden or country landscape settings.

2. David Allan (1744 – 1796)

A Scottish painter well-known for his portrait art. He specialised in painting family groups and one of his most famous works is named The Origin of Painting.

3. Joseph Turner (1775 – 1851)

 Joseph Turner famously raised the profile of landscape painting and is widely considered one of the ‘great masters’ of painting. His work was first displayed at the Royal Academy when he was just 15 years old. Throughout his career, Turner produced over 500 oil paintings and 2000 watercolours including Dutch Boats in Gale, 1801 and The Fighting Temeraire, 1839. His paintings, many of which are seascapes, are identified for his clever use of light, shade and colour. Turner was recently named the most influential British artist of all time with his portrait printed on the £20 note.

4. John Constable (1776 - 1837)

Also a landscape artist, John Constable was an English painter of the romantic tradition. He was most famous for his depictions of the Dedham Vale, an area of Suffolk close to where he was born.

5. The Pre-Raphaelites

Yes, I know this might be cheating as it is not just a single artist. The Pre-Raphaelites were a group of painters from the late 19^th Century who painted literary and religious scenes in bright colours.

6. Sir John Lavery (1856 - 1941)

 

This famous artist from Northern Ireland once painted the Royal Family.

7. Henry Moore (1898 – 1986)

Henry Moore was an English sculptor and painter best known for the abstract style of his large bronze sculptures. 

8. John Petts (1914 – 1991)

 

This very successful Welsh artist worked mainly with engravings and stained glass. 

9. Lucian Freud (1922 - 2011)

This well-known portrait artist was born in Germany but spent most of his life in Britain after his parents fled the Nazi occupation in 1933. He served in the British Merchant Navy during the Second World War, before becoming one of the 20^th Century’s most prolific portrait painters.

10. David Hockney (1937)

David Hockney contributed to the pop art movement in the 1960s and continues as an influential painter, printmaker and photographer today.


Who is your favourite artist? Comment below!