I like to visit an art gallery in London once or twice a year, so I recently caught a bus from Leicester to London for a trip to visit the Courtauld Art Gallery. I walked from Victoria Coach Station along Buckingham Palace Road, past the palace and up along The Mall to Trafalgar Square. I continued along The Strand until I got to Somerset House. It was a bit of a walk but I like to get an opportunity to see some of the sights, e.g. Nelson’s Column and The National Gallery, when I am in London.
I chose to visit the Courtauld Gallery because, having been to the National Gallery, I wanted to experience art in a smaller, more intimate setting.
In the Courtauld, the collection, much of it collected and donated by one man, helps focus the mind on the beauty of the ideas of those particular artists. One of the wall notices informs the visitor that this is a collection of the finest examples of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in Europe. My time spent here was well rewarded.
The collection, named in honour of Samuel Courtauld, an industrialist and art collector, was started in 1932. Samuel Courtauld donated paintings by Manet, Monet and Van Gough, to name just a few examples. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtauld_Gallery (Follow the link for the other major benefactors who donated their art to this collection of wonderful donations of art works by major artists.)
I had pre-booked my entry time online, so that was simple and the gallery was not too busy, so you can pay on entry, too. It costs just ten pounds to get in, with an optional donation of two pounds. Unlike many other museums in the UK, entry to the Courtauld is not free, but well worth paying to get in.
The Gallery is part of a larger set of buildings that comprises Somerset House. I encountered my first difficulty when trying to find the way in. There were several different entrances. I went in from The Strand and looked at a notice board with a long list of different areas to visit. The Courtauld Gallery was hard to spot in the middle of the list as you can see here.
Strand
Best for The Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court, Seamen’s Hall & the South Wing, the Courtyard Rooms, the East Wing Galleries, The Courtauld Gallery, King’s College London and the Somerset House Shop.
However, if I had checked out the online instructions first, I am sure that it would have been much easier. https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/getting-here
The Gallery itself had a major refurbishment and reopened in 2021, and it was a lovely experience to wander up the circular staircases to the different exhibition rooms. Also, there is a lift to get to the three floors the exhibition is on.
I started my tour, following the handy Gallery leaflet. On the First Floor I was excited to see a lovely collection of paintings by Medieval and Early Renaissance artists, an area that I have studied in the past and have a particular interest in. It was amazing to stand in front of Bernado Daddi’s wonderful polyptych, The Crucifixion with Saints. There is an information board beside the altarpiece.
Hint: Check out free talks, advertised on entry, as I was in good time to listen to a short talk from a Masters student about the Courtauld Bag, an amazing silver handbag from Mosul in Iraq (1300 to 1330).
Later, I went in search of the Art Cafe for a bit of lunch. It was in an adjacent building and was bright and airy and looked promising. Unfortunately, there was not much to choose from for lunch, so I settled on the salad bowl. It was colourful, with dark green leaves and red tomatoes. I asked what else it contained and the server said potatoes and something which looked like white cabbage. The large bowl cost ten pounds and unfortunately I was disappointed. The main ingredient was lots of salad potatoes that had been boiled then roasted or fried until they were dry in the centre with no flavour. Not to be recommended.
I then had a look around the Courtauld Shop which was in the same building as the cafe. This was a lovely subterranean display of beautiful things curated to match the gallery exhibits. For example, books about the Impressionist painters in the exhibition, and definitely worth a browse.
I went back to the Gallery and began on the third floor in the Great Room with Impressionism and Post-Impressionism paintings. This was the main attraction for me.
My favourite paintings included A Bar at the Folies Bergere by Edouard Manet (pictured at top), and Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear by Vincent Van Gough, together with his sublime Peach Trees in Blossom (1889).
You will find your own favourites among the many stunning artworks on display.
On the second floor, the six Blavatnik Fine Rooms display European Art from 1400 to 1800 including Rubens, Gainsborough and Northern Renaissance artists.
I was really interested to see a portrait by Rubens of Jan Bruegel the Elder and his family. Jan was the son of the great Peter Bruegel the Elder. The story board at the side of the picture gives a poignant appendix to this portrait.
Information about the art works is posted, as mentioned, beside each piece and in the Gallery leaflet.
There is also lots of information on a free Bloomberg app that gives an audio description and further comments by art curators, together with a transcript on your phone. I found it really helpful.
I have only mentioned a few of the items on display. There are wonderful silver collections, marriage chests, ceramics and other fascinating items for the visitor to enjoy.
My visit to the Courtauld was a real treat. For me it was a super experience to really immerse myself in the art collections here, especially the modern and post-modern impressions collections. A “limited palette” of great artists to enjoy. I would definitely recommend you spend a couple of hours there if you are in London.
If you don't get the chance to visit, you can check out the free Virtual Tour on the Gallery’s website: https://virtualtour.courtauld.ac.uk/permanentcollection/
Enjoy!
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I am a writer and have self-published three historical novels about the Irish Famine with women and girls as the main protagonists.
When I retired from working in Further Education, I had time for travel, research and study. I enrolled on a Master’s degree in Creative Writing and began to write my first novel in 2018.
I am currently completing the fourth novel in the series.
My other hobby includes art. I enjoy visiting art galleries, I also take short courses in art history and attend lessons in drawing and painting.
Social media: X @bridgetw1807
Link to my novels on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3UgMgDy