Visit Courtauld Gallery houses the impressive collection of London University's Courtauld Institute of Art.
It features paintings ranging from the Old Masters to Post-Impressionism, with works by Cézanne, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Turner.
Today, let's take a closer look.
Courtauld Gallery: article summary
Courtauld Gallery: at a glance
In November 2021, the Courtauld reopened its doors following a programme of renovation work. 57 million over three years.
The Courtauld Gallery is located inside Somerset House, a large building originally built to house a number of government offices.
What to see at the Courtauld Gallery
Among the finest works are :
- Édouard Manet's Folies-Bergère bar
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir's theater dressing room
- Vincent Van Gogh's self-portrait with bandaged ear
- The Trinity with Botticelli's saints
Although the gallery has a collection of over 26,000 works, including 530 paintingsIt is considered a relatively small art museum.
Its manageable size, impressive collection and central location make it a favorite of many visitors to London.
Temporary exhibitions at the Courtauld Gallery
The Courtauld Gallery also hosts a number of permanent exhibitions. Current and forthcoming exhibitions feature a number of major works.
The Serenissima: Venice in the 18th century
The Serenissima is an exhibition running until February 11, 2024. It features drawings from Venice's golden age.
The exhibition features works by renowned Venetian artists such as Canaletto, Tiepolo and Guardi. The drawings range from realistic depictions of Venice to imaginative works, offering a unique view of the city.
The exhibition also highlights the role of drawing in the artistic process, serving as both preparatory sketches and independent works of art.
Courtauld Gallery: the Manet exhibition
The Manet exhibition (until February 18, 2024) presents a selection of works by young artists, aged 14 to 18, inspired by Édouard Manet's painting Un bar aux Folies-Bergère (1882).
The artists in the exhibition reacted to Manet's painting in a variety of ways. Some created works directly inspired by the composition, but placed in a modern context. Others have used Manet's painting as a means to the starting point for more personal, abstract works.
Frank Auerbach and his charcoal drawings
This exhibition (February 9 - May 27, 2024) features large-scale charcoal drawings by Frank Auerbach. It features a series of hauntingly beautiful portrait heads.
Created during his early post-war years in London, these drawings reveal Auerbach's meticulous process.
The finished drawings, textured and layered, represent vital, living heads emerging from the darkness of the charcoal.
Auerbach's works offer a profound reflection on the post-war period. The exhibition marks the first comprehensive presentation of his extraordinary post-war drawings from the 1950s and early 1960s.
The exhibition includes paintings of the same models, highlighting the nature closely linked to Auerbach's painting and drawing practices.
Courtauld Gallery: the Roger Mayne exhibition
The Roger Mayne exhibition (June 14-September 1, 2024) features some fifty photographs by British photographer Roger Mayne (1929-2014).
He is known for his documentary images illustrating young people's lives in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Self-taught and influential in establishing photography as an art form, Mayne concentrated on capturing the working-class communities of West London.
The exhibition focuses on Mayne's central theme of depicting the energy and radicalism of post-war Britain through images of children at play and emerging teenage culture.
The collection combines iconic London street scenes with lesser-known, intimate images of the Mayne family in Dorset in the late 1960s and 1970s, highlighting his radical empathy and desire for lasting photographic impact.
Monet and London: views of the Thames
The Monet and London exhibition (September 27, 2024-January 19, 2025) brings together, for the first time in 120 years, a collection of Claude Monet's London paintings, including Charing Cross Bridge and Waterloo Bridge.
Although renowned as one of the leaders of French Impressionism, Monet's lesser-known works represent unique views of the Thames, featuring evocative atmosphere, mysterious light and brilliant colors.
Created during three stays in London between 1899 and 1901, the series was first presented in Paris in 1904.
Despite Monet's desire to exhibit them in London in 1905, plans fell through and the paintings have never been shown in the UK until now.
Courtauld Gallery: how to get there?
The Courtauld Gallery is located at Somerset House, not far from Charing Cross station and Covent Garden.
The metro Temple is a five-minute walk away, and Covent Garden and Charing Cross stations are also just minutes away.
It's a relatively small museum with a handful of very famous paintings, and most people spend between one and two hours there. What a to keep you busy between visits.
What to do in London in 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 5 days, a week?
Whatever the length of your stay, I invite you to download my special London guide.
It's free and in PDF format.
All you have to do is tell me below which e-mail address you'd like to receive it at.
EDIT: you can't enter your email?
Take the quiz at the top of this article and you'll be able to register your email address to receive the special London guide!
Leave a Reply