Art in London: 10 of the capital’s most romantic paintings for Valentine’s Day

From paintings of exquisite flowers to sculptures depicting extraordinary love stories, the city is full of charming artworks to fit your February mood
Mars and Venus by Sandro Botticelli

Love is as old as time itself, and where there is love, artistic expressions of love often follow closely behind. For thousands of years, human beings have been inspired to create sculptures, paintings, drawings and engravings depicting romantic and indeed erotic scenes. From Rodin's Kiss, to Georgia O'Keeffe's Red Canna, to Magritte's The Lovers II, romantic works come in many different forms and styles.

Now it's February – the month dedicated to all things romantic – we're celebrating by visiting some of these romantic paintings in London. You can find many of them in the National Gallery, Tate Britain and the Royal Academy, and visit them for free – the perfect excuse for a romantic Valentine’s Day stroll around a gallery with your loved one, with friends, or on your own.

Diana Armfield, Still-life Rose and Wild Flowers (1989-1990)

Because who doesn’t love a nice bunch of flowers on Valentine’s day? Armfield’s painting, housed in the Royal Academy collection, is a reminder of the joy a simple vase of blooms can bring into your life.

Royal Academy

John Gibson, Cupid and Psyche (c. 1859)

Celebrated 19th century sculptor Gibson depicted the story of Cupid and his love Psyche in a stunning series of marble facades that are part of the Royal Academy’s collection. If you’re looking to get struck by Cupid’s arrow this February, you might want to learn a little more about his tortured love story.

He fell in love with Psyche, despite the fact his mum Venus demanded he make her fall in love with an ugly monster (she was jealous of how beautiful Psyche was). Psyche was not allowed to look at Cupid, so when she disobeyed this order, Venus set her a number of appallingly cruel tasks. Cupid, unable to bear Psyche’s suffering, pleaded with the gods to make her immortal, and eventually they were married in heaven. And you thought using Tinder was stressful.

Royal Academy

Paris Bordone, A Pair of Lovers (1555-60)

This work is thought by some to depict the love story between Daphnis and Chloe, characters from Greek romance writer Longus's only work. Abandoned at birth, they were discovered by a goatherder, later falling in love in between herding flocks for their parents. Things took a dark turn later, when attempts were made to abduct Chloe and beat up Daphnis. But all’s well that ends well, right? They got married and lived out the rest of their lives in the country.

National Gallery

Paolo Veronese, Happy Union (c. 1575)

This painting is part of a series called Allegories of Love from Italian Renaissance painter Paolo Veronese. While the meanings of each of the four paintings are open to debate, they are thought to respectively represent unfaithfulness, scorn, respect and happy union. The latter, seen above, communicates the feeling of love; the couple's union is marked by a laurel wreath, the olive branch symbolises peace, whilst the dog represents fidelity and the gold chain held by the boy is a symbol of marriage.

National Gallery

Thomas Gainsborough, Mr and Mrs Andrews (1750)

This pair must be one of the most famous married couples in art: Gainsborough painted this work after the marriage of his friend Robert Andrews to Frances Carter. The space on Frances’s lap remains blank; it’s thought that the artist was reserving the space to paint a child for her to hold.

National Gallery

Solomon J Solomon, St George (c. 1906)

British artist Solomon’s painting shows our patron saint Saint George slaying a dragon and rescuing a maiden from its claws. We’re waiting for the feminist update where St Georgina saves a worried young lad from a fiery dragon – but until then, you have to admit that the knight in the shining armour 'bit' Solomon so masterfully captures is still quite romantic.

Royal Academy

Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait (1434)

The Arnolfini Portrait is regarded by many as a revolutionary artwork, thanks to Van Eyck’s use of perspective, expansion of space and iconography. (The reflection on the mirror on the back wall is a tiny marvel in itself). It depicts Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife at home – she is not pregnant, just up to date with the then contemporary fashion of very full-skirted dresses. It may be one of the most famous artworks in history, but at the end of the day it’s just a married couple kicking back at home with their dog – check out the casual slippers in the background. Zoom in on the hands for one of art's most elegant hand-holds.

National Gallery

Sandro Botticelli, Venus and Mars (c. 1485)

Mars, God of War, sleeps on whilst Venus, Goddess of Love, sits awake watchfully. The message of this masterpiece of classical painting seems to be that love is enduring; war subsides (and that some people can even sleep through a cherub blowing a trumpet in their ear).

National Gallery

Frederic George Stephens, The Proposal (The Marquis and Griselda) (c. 1850)

Stephens’ beautiful painting can be seen in Tate Britain’s Historic and Modern British Art: Beauty as Protest – a collection of works that individually questioned mainstream Victorian culture and ideas. This work depicts a scene from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales: in the Clerk’s Tale, a marquis proposes to a poor peasant girl then subjects her to a series of trials to test her love. She eventually wins his devotion. An early version of 'treat them mean keep them keen'.

Tate Britain

After Edward Penny, engraved by George Townly Stubbs, The Respectful Lover (c. 1796)

This painting contains one of the most romantic things you can ask for: respect. And who doesn’t enjoy a nice country walk with their beloved? Even in this weather?

Royal Academy

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