it s a journey through 500 years of british art, but now this story isn t presented in a vacuum but reflects the culture and society of its times. tate britain s also giving greater prominence to works by women artists and diversity. this is the first room in which women artists appear. alex farquharson s been busy investing in art by women, including this new acquisition by mary beale, the most prolific female portrait painter of the 17th century. of course this is a man s world, in society as a whole and in terms of the arts scene. these are artists that have been marginalised from art historical accounts, and unfairly marginalised. and it s so important that the work is seen in the context of their male peers. tate now displays its art within its wider historical context, with new commissions alongside for the first time. nils norman s radical pamphlets show the turbulence of an age of civil war in a way the paintings don t.