London’s Courtauld Gallery is well worth a visit. Although
relatively small it contains several well-known paintings that are of
international importance and which can be viewed at leisure in a relaxed
environment that is usually free from crowds.
The Courtauld Gallery
The Courtauld Gallery is an integral part of the Courtauld
Institute of Art, which was founded in 1932 by Samuel Courtauld (1876-1947) and
Viscount Lee of Fareham (1868-1947). Both men were extremely wealthy
(Courtauld’s fortune came from the family firm of Courtaulds Ltd, a
multinational textiles and chemical company) and both were avid collectors of
works of art, particularly, in Courtauld’s case, of impressionist and
post-impressionist paintings. Their collection formed the core of what is now
available for view at the Courtauld Gallery, together with the results of
further gifts and bequests. The fact that the Courtauld Gallery is a
“collection of collections”, rather than the result of a deliberate purchasing
policy, means that the masterpieces on view do not represent the whole sweep of
the history of art but are particularly strong in some areas and weak or absent
in others.
An important aspect of the Courtauld Gallery is its setting
in 18th century Somerset House designed by Sir William Chambers (1723-96). As
well as the splendid rooms with their moulded plasterwork and painted ceilings
(mostly restored), the steep stone stairs that connect the three floors are
themselves a work of art with their perfect proportions. It must also be said
that there is a lift for those who cannot manage the stairs!
Visiting the Gallery
One of the great advantages of visiting the Courtauld
Gallery, in London’s The Strand, is that it is small enough to “do” in two or
three hours, unlike the vast collections of The National Gallery or Tate
Britain, where one is forced to be selective on a single visit. This means that
the treasures one can see are more likely to linger in the memory because one
can afford to spend more time looking at each one and not be overwhelmed by
sheer quantity.
Since 1989 the collection has been housed in the north block
of Somerset House, where The Strand meets Aldwych close to Waterloo Bridge. It
is therefore within easy reach of several other London art galleries, such as
The National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square, Tate
Modern on Bankside, and the Hayward Gallery on the South Bank. The nearest
Underground station is Temple (District and Circle Lines) and a number of bus
routes stop just outside the door.
The Courtauld Gallery, being private, is not usually free to
enter, although the charge is not unreasonable and there are concessions
including free entry for full-time UK students and university staff. The
gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm.
On entering the archway that leads to the courtyard of
Somerset House, the Gallery Shop is on the left (often some bargains to be
had!) and the gallery entrance is on the right.
What you can see
There is one room on the ground floor, this being devoted to
Medieval and Renaissance Art. The works are mostly devotional in character,
including altarpieces and triptychs from the early 14th century.
A series of rooms on the first floor begins with the High
Renaissance, including works by Botticelli and Cranach. Particularly notable is
the collection of Italian “cassoni”, these being marriage chests in which a
bride’s possessions would be carried in procession from her parental home to
that of her new husband. These were often works of art in themselves, with
their splendour reflecting the wealth of the bridegrooms who commissioned them.
The examples on display here are of extremely high quality.
The collection of paintings includes some very fine works by
Peter Paul Rubens, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Francisco de Goya, Giovanni
Tiepolo and others, many being of international importance, but the Courtauld
Gallery is justly famed for its collection of impressionist and
post-impressionist works, including many world-famous works.
Among these are Edouard Manet’s “A Bar at the
Folies-Bergere”, completed shortly before Manet’s death in 1882. This features
a barmaid, who may also have been a prostitute, who stands ready to serve and
who is reflected in a mirror behind her. In the reflection she is looking straight
at a male customer, who is therefore the viewer. This large painting demands a
long view, and the visitor can spend as much time doing so as they wish.
Another painting of global importance is Vincent Van Gogh’s
“Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear” (1889) which was painted after the artist
mutilated himself having quarrelled with his friend and colleague Paul Gauguin.
In the same room are two paintings that Gauguin painted while he was living in
Tahiti, namely “Nevermore” and “Te Rerioa” (both 1897).
The Courtauld’s collection of paintings by Paul Cezanne is particularly
good, thanks to Samuel Courtauld’s interest in the artist. These include his
iconic “Montagne Sainte-Victoire” of 1887 and his later “The Card Players”.
Another artist who is well represented is Edgar Degas, including his “Two
Dancers on the Stage” (1874). Other famous painters of the period whose works
can be found here include Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Georges Seurat,
Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
On the second floor can be seen works from the 20th
century by artists including Amadeo Modigliani, Henri Rousseau, Wyndham Lewis, Vanessa
Bell and Ben Nicholson. This floor is used for temporary exhibitions, so what
is on display one month may be completely different the next.
As well as paintings there are many other objects on display
throughout the gallery, including sculpture, ceramics, silverware, furniture,
keyboard instruments and other objets d’art.
A visit to the Courtauld Gallery is a pleasant and rewarding
experience, achieved largely by the fact that the art on display is presented
on a scale to which the visitor can easily relate. The atmosphere is not that
of a huge gallery but of a town house, albeit a very grand one, that happens to
have some splendid pictures on the walls. The visit is definitely worth the
entrance fee and will linger long in the memory.
© John Welford
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