Courtauld Gallery

The Courtauld Gallery stands in the Strand block of Somerset House, a grand 18th-century building by Sir William Chambers in central London. It holds the art collection of the Samuel Courtauld Trust, displayed alongside the Courtauld Institute of Art. The gallery’s holdings span medieval to modern works, with strong holdings in French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings. The collection grew through major donations and bequests from collectors such as Samuel Courtauld, Lord Lee, Sir Robert Witt, and others. It includes key works by Manet, Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin, alongside Old Master paintings and British drawings. The gallery reopened in 2021 after a major redevelopment, now led by director Ernst Vegelin and institute director designate Professor Mark Hallett. Visitors find paintings by Van Gogh, Degas, and Renoir in the main galleries, while the Gambier-Parry Collection offers medieval ivories, maiolica, and early Italian panels. The Great Room, once used for the Royal Academy’s summer exhibitions, features an inscription in Ancient Greek above its entrance. The setting preserves the historic rooms designed for learned societies, linking past and present art worlds.