Our show aims to reveal the extraordinary and varied, if uneven history of watercolour through the centuries

Watercolour at Tate Britain invites you to challenge your preconceptions of what watercolour is. The most ambitious exhibition about watercolour ever to be staged, with works spanning 800 years, this boundary-breaking survey celebrates the full variety of ways watercolour has been used. From manuscripts, miniatures and maps through to works showing the expressive visual splendour of foreign landscapes, watercolour has always played a part in British Art.

Watercolour also offers the chance to see rarely displayed works in all their luminous glory, by artists ranging from J.M.W. Turner and Thomas Girtin to Anish Kapoor and Tracey Emin.

The exhibition presents a full and fresh assessment on the history and future of watercolour painting. It aims to question our thoughts on what watercolour stands for, presenting famous and lesser-known works side by side and bringing this popular, universal and enduring medium back to the centre of our cultural heritage.