Pinnable

Located in the historical setting of Somerset House in central London, the Courtauld Gallery is home to one of Britain’s finest art collections and includes paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture and decorative arts ranging from the Middle Ages through the 20th century. The permanent exhibition starts on the mezzanine level, where you will find medieval & early Renaissance paintings such as Bernardo Daddi’s polyptych The Crucifixion with Saints, superb ivory carvings, and Islamic metalwork, of which the so-called ‘Courtauld Bag’ is one of the most exceptional pieces of its kind. Moving up to the second floor, there are six rooms showcasing works from the Renaissance through the 18th century. Among the highlights here are Adam & Eve by Lucas Cranach the Elder, Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s Landscape with the Flight into Egypt, The Family of Jan Brueghel the Elder by their friend Peter Paul Rubens, and a portrait of Margaret Gainsborough by her husband Thomas.

The Courtauld Gallery is particularly known for its impressionist & post-impressionist paintings, which can be found on the top floor. A Bar at the Folies-Bergère by Édouard Manet, his last major work, completed the year before he died, is the main reason to visit the gallery, but there is much more to see. Further highlights include Vincent van Gogh’s famous self-portrait with a bandaged ear and Peach Trees in Blossom, three paintings by Claude Monet, including one of a vase of flowers, The Theatre Box by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, several works by Paul Cézanne, including Montagne Sainte-Victoire with Large Pine and The Card Players, Nevermore by Paul Gauguin, and, for train enthusiasts, Camille Pissarro’s depiction of Lordship Lane Station. Finally, two notable paintings from the 20th century are a female nude by Amedeo Modigliani and Oskar Kokoschka’s triptych The Myth of Prometheus. The Courtauld Gallery underwent a lengthy renovation a few years ago, and the result is marvellous, making it one of London’s most delightful art museums.

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