The Courtauld Gallery

We visited this magnificent gallery, founded in 1932 by Samuel Courtauld, a member of a renowned family of art patrons. It's located in Somerset House, a historic building with stunning architecture, and occupies three floors. We especially loved the second floor, dedicated to the Renaissance; it was a delight. We'd love to return again to experience this magical atmosphere.

Visiting the Courtauld Gallery was an unforgettable experience. Although it isn’t the largest gallery in the city, the quality of the collection is astounding, featuring some of the most iconic works in art history. A personal highlight was encountering one of my favourite pieces ever: Claude Monet’s Bouquet of Flowers. The vibrancy of the colours and the softness of Monet’s brushwork are truly breathtaking up close! I spent a while just staring at this one piece specifically. The building itself is a work of art, with its elegant architecture and painted ceilings which some may accidentally overlook. It’s a lovely surprise that adds to the charm of the gallery :)

I absolutely loved my visit to the Courtauld Gallery. The building itself is stunning, full of charm and history, with brass staircases and ambient natural light that makes the space glow. The collections are beautifully curated, with the Impressionist floor being a real highlight. Spending time with masterpieces in such a thoughtful setting felt special. Somerset House as a whole is a joy to explore, lively yet elegant, and celebrating the gallery’s 25th birthday on the day I visited made the experience even more memorable.

The Courtauld Gallery is a really excellent exposition with a stupendous collection of impressionistic paintings! It’s free for students, staff is very helpful, the space is very clean… the whole experience was incredibly pleasant! The gift shop was very lovely, too. Highly recommended!

Absolutely lovely! I went with a friend and had such a good time. There were many exhibits on display, and each one properly explained and lovely as well as inspiring to look at. My friend and I definitely want to come again. And also try the listening experience as well.

Don’t miss it. The gallery was a highlight of my trip. A beautiful and interesting collection with some real treasures in a beautiful building. The space is relatively contained and the atmosphere more relaxed and enjoyable than the larger museums teeming with people.

Beautiful gallery with just the right number of paintings & sculpture to enjoy. We spent about two hours with a break for coffee in between. I particularly enjoyed the Impressionists. The architectural features are also superb.

Went for the Abstract Erotic exhibition featuring sculptures from artists Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse, Alice Adams. The gallery has a good collection permanent collection with paintings ranging from Van Gogh, Matisse, Gauguin etc

It was a very lovely, small museum. We spent roughly 45 minutes there which was without admissions to the special exhibit. We came in early in the morning and there was no crowd. In every room, there was maybe 2-4 people with us. Definitely worth a visit.

This is such a hidden gem. It is small, but mighty. And no crowds! Wonderful rooms of amazing works without anyone around. I can't believe that this museum isn't easier to find on search engines. Completely worth the admission fee.

An art gallery on the smaller side, had some interesting pieces and was a welcome change from massive collections like the National Gallery. It has a collection of Van Gogh's self-portraits right now, as well as some other temporary exhibits and permanent pieces. Would recommend!

Small collection with some beautiful paintings. I was pleased to see Cranach's Adam and Eve, Renoir's The Theater Box, and Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergère. However, since the Courtauld is shutting in September for a two year renovation, it appears they've loaned out some paintings already. I was quite disappointed to miss Van Gogh's Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and several other paintings.

An amazing collection of some of the best known artworks in the world. Van Gogh's classic self-portrait, Picasso's "Child with a Dove", Seurat, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Pissaro, Cezanne, wow. Just wow. Inexpensive at £6 (or £4.50 at the moment). No audio guides, but they do allow pictures (no flash or tripod). A really great visit. I'd recommend not coming on a school day or bank holiday.

*The gallery is currently under construction, but will reopen better than ever in 2021!* There are many magnificent free (or donation-based-only) galleries in London, so recommending a gallery with a set cost feels a bit counter-intuitive. What can I say, true love isn't rational, and I have loved it here as long as I can remember. Pretty much all of the offerings at Somerset House are worth checking out (hello summer films and winter skating!), but especially the gallery. The collection includes important works by Henri Matisse, André Derain, Raoul Dufy, Modigliani, Monet, Degas, Gauguin, and Van Gogh. I mean, what. All housed in a relatively intimate space, where you really feel part of the action.

One of the few museums in London where you'll pay a fee, but easily one of my favorites in town. The impressionist and post impressionist collections here were most impressive. You'll see masterpieces from Manet, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne, Van Gogh and Gauguin. My two favorite pieces in here are Modigliani's "Female Nude" and Van Gogh's self portrait where he is all bandaged up after slicing his ear off. I still think the reclining nude of Modigliani that hangs at the Met is his best work. The Courtauld Gallery is an outstanding collection that is a must for fans of impressionists.

We stumbled onto this little gallery, and even though there was a nominal admission charge, we decided to see what type of art was held in this neat, but tired, building had to offer. Once inside the Courtauld wing of the Somerset house, we weren't disappointed. There were so many pieces of great art from the impressionist era, representing most all of the premier artists from that era including Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Seraut, Degas, Monet, Gaugin and best of all, a famous Van Gough bandaged ear self portrait and a wonderful and famous Manet oil of a waitress behind a bar. Additionally, there were multiple post impressionist works by Cezanne, and others by Modigliani, Picasso and Matisse to name just a few. Then there are the multiple Reubens paintings, the Courtauld silver collection, and a gem of a Medieval / Renaissance art collection. In size, I'd say it compares to the Fogg museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts which also has a Van Gough self portrait. We didn't have time to make it to the National Gallery, but, this really made up for having missed that venue. And after all, it was plenty of art to absorb in an afternoon without becoming completely overwhelmed.

The Courtauld Gallery is a quiet art museum with priceless treasures displayed in what was a former residence. Some of the ceilings and mantles in the museum are works of art by themselves. Allow at least an hour and a half to appreciate each piece if not longer. Probably not the best museum for small children. They also have silver serving pieces and two commodes. The commodes were original to the residence. This museum also houses paintings by Edgar Degas, Renoir, Pissarro and Monet among others.

A must-see museum in London, especially for those who enjoy impressionist and post impressionist art as the collection was incredible and very well displayed in a lovely building. We had the good fortune to be there when Rodin's Dancer's was on exhibit. It was a lovely collection of the artist's drawings and sculptures, although it was the permanent collection that took my breathe away. I will return on my next visit to London and the museum and exhibit were a gem. There are several places for lunch nearby and you're very close to several theaters if you want to combine a museum visit and a matinee performance in the same day.

One of my favorite galleries. Very impressive collection of 19th and 20th centuries impressionism and post-impressionism in several rooms. The London Pass gets you into the gallery too. There's also a moderate collection of Renaissance and Medieval works including works by Fra Angelico. Lucas Cranach's "Adam and Eve" and "The Trinity with Saints" by Filipepi Botticelli are here for the public's viewing. But I spent the majority of my time viewing the 19th and 20th centuries work. My favorites include Renoir's "La Roge" where Renoir focused on Paris theaters and this painting is an example of that. And van Gogh's "Self-Portrait with a bandaged ear" is the highlight and the central focus of the gallery. The painting depicts van Gogh mutilating his right ear after a quarrel with Paul Gaugin in the 1880s. But anyways, there is also works from Cezanne, Matisse, Manet and similar artists found here and there's plenty of them too. You won't be disappointed on your visit here.

The Courtauld Collection (not: "Gallery") at Somerset House is a *must-see* London attraction for anyone who's even remotely interested in 19th and early 20th century European painting. The collection actually reaches back to Renaissance and Baroque (Rubens in particular) art, but it is particularly strong on Impressionism and post-Impressionism, with masterpieces by Van Gogh, Renoir, Cézanne, Morisot, Dégas or Gauguin. Also, there are several noteworthy English paintings (Gainsborough, Reynolds) and 20th century pieces by Léger, De Vlaminck, Van Dongen, Rousseau, or Modigliani. I would go so far as to call The Courtauld Collection the No.3 gallery when it comes to pre-avantgarde art, after the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square and the Tate Britain in Pimlico. Unlike the latter, the entry is *not* free here: UKP 8.50 for an adult ticket if you also want to see the temporary exhibitions (when I visited in early May of 2015, there was an interesting exhibit on drawings of old women and "witches" by Goya), UKP 7 for just the permanent display. There are concessions for students and retirees, young people of 18 and under go free. The halls of the collection are very attractive in and of themselves, and non-flash photography in the permanent collection *is* allowed (see my photos). However, many paintings are lit in a way that renders photography impossible or pointless (as in: too much glare). Nearby tube stations include Temple and Embankment, but it's actually within walking distance from Trafalgar Square e.g. You can stroll along the River Thames and then walk up to the north entrance of Somerset House, which also holds several other collections and cafés. It's also a beautiful building.

A little gem of an art gallery tucked away inside the grounds of Somerset House (well, by the entrance but still quite unobtrusive). There is an entrance fee but even that is only £6 and less still for concessions. Another aspect of this gallery which finds favour with me is that it never seems to be particularly busy. Of course there are always people in the gallery but the Courtauld doesn't gather large crowds, probably due to it's lower profile. The Courtaulds' permanent collection contains many great paintings from some of the biggest names in the art world. From Van Gogh to Picasso, Monet to Manet, Michelangelo to Kandinsky, Renoir to Rosa, Rubens to... Well, there are lot's, not to mention a number of British artists too. A few of the rooms also adorn some impressive fresco's. The recent temporary exhibit was displaying a number of works by Toulouse-Lautrec focusing on the Moulin Rouge - which was also very enjoyable. The main galleries are split over the upper floors while a cafe awaits in the basement. There are even lockers available for bags. What more could you possibly want? Hooray for the Courtauld! Ian

This is a very sweet private gallery. Pictures without flash are allowed. We took advantage of free admission as part of the London Pass. The gallery is easy to understand and not overwhelming like most. We ended up purchasing prints of our favorite Degas piece in the gift shop. This gallery is worth a stop!

Small gallery located just to the right side of the main entrance of Somerset House. Great collection of paintings, many of them quite famous; "A Bar at the Folies-Bergere" from Manet as well as Van Gogh's self-portrait reside here. Main focus is on impressionist paintings. You will also find a nice/small cafe in the basement.

With the Courtauld Gallery having some amazing works from the Renaissance to the 20th century, works from artist known all over the world, I find it bewildering that hardly anybody has heard of it. I have been countless times on research trip for my own projects and it is a great place to be inspired. I did mention that not many people have heard of it, well, I suppose that depends on your circle of friends and who you ask. Because each and every time I have been there, it has been busy with people in every room. But I think a place with works by Michelangelo, Turner, Dürer, Leonardo, Canaletto, van Gogh and Picasso (and the list goes on), it should have a bigger reputation. If you haven't been go, its great! The rooms are spectacular, with world famous pieces and remember, its free!

I love this place. Part of Somerset House it is a private gallery which allows people to enter and view the paintings. It is a London gallery that you have to pay to enter. However, it's well worth the fee. There are an amazing number of painting here. Some well known some not so much. You can wonder around looking at the paintings.

I attended an Open House day to satisfy my curiosities in Art. I was interested in Renaissance Art and wanted a few historical explanations. There were quiet a few like me who spent the day there. The academy has an extensive archive collection, the library is humongous, the teachers are experts and well established in their field. Though sadly the tutor for the Renaissance department was going to retire and so I felt disappointed. However my brief experience of the academy left me with the impressions of extensive study in hisotry of art but with the highest degree of expertise knowledge and expect critique to be bounced back. It did seem a bit cut-throat and catty. Overall an Institure renowned for its collection and connections.

This is a real favourite of mine. It is housed now in Somerset House having been moved from Bloomsbury. It is small enough to take in at one visit which is a delight.One of my favourite pictures is the famous chair of Van Gogh into which every viewer can project a sitter. Nowadays, the homeless art project : SMart works in the building, taking their talent to look for inspiration in the gallery, before creating their own work elsewhere in the basement. Congratulations to the Courtauld for making such a worthwhile enterprise possible.

What a fantastic little museum! It's clearly not well known (yet) because it wasn't crowded and nobody walking by seems to know of the treasures hanging on the walls inside. Another London Pass item and I'm glad I saw it in the list. Impressionists and Renaissance paintings- Monet,Manet, Degas, Rembrandt, Picasso- a few sculptures. Not overwhelming like the big museums, just enough to satisfy the senses. The exhibits flow- well, except one odd photo poorly framed and completely out of place. We kept joking that nobody ever exited the Tube at Temple and then we exited for this great art museum today. There's a great gift shop too if you're looking for a more off the beaten path souvenir or jewelry or scarves. I'd say an hour or 1 1/2 hours is a good amount of time to walk through , read the information plaques and enjoy the art here.

An entire room is devoted to Degas' world-famous sculptural studies of dancers... Embeded in the large Somerset House complex, Coutauld Gallery is less known to Londoners yet with a surperb collection, i.e. Michelangelo's Dream, Van Gogh's Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear... I also enjoyed the array of outstanding works charting the development of modern French painting from Monet and Renoir to Seurat and Gauguin. The Café underneath the gallery is also easy to miss yet often being missed, an oasis within the splendid surroundings. The coffee and home made cakes are delicious... Wish I could have my Lavendar Orange cake now sitting in the courtyard and breathing the arty air. Every once a while, the gallery also has themed music performance along with t the special exhibition. The scene outside gallery rooms also compliments the visiting experience. In winter late evenings, the ice rink on somerset house plaza has a modern lighting contrasting the gallery collections with its music and momentum. On a weekend early morning, the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court is quiet. Sometimes you see some beautiful figures posing and dancing along with the 55 water jets springing directly from the granite paving. This place is meant to open minds to art.

Not to be missed if you like classical European paintings. The number of of high quality, famous impressionists' works here is amazing and the rooms provide a great setting for viewing them. Has (free) lockers and toilets downstairs. Front desk staff was prissy but that was quickly forgotten as I ascended the beautiful staircase and saw the paintings.

My favorite gallery in London. The National Gallery is fantastic as well but I think the Courtauld is one of those hidden gems that every art lover needs to see. Tucked away in the massive Somerset House, the Courtauld is full of beautiful paintings, focusing mainly on the Impressionist period and thus home to great works of Seurat, Monet & Renoir. Oh the Renoir... don't even get me started it's fantastic! The gallery gift shop is great as well- good prices and great options for souvenirs or gifts. Also they sell these amazing Degas reproduction sculptures, which I would LOVE to purchase when I have the funds. The Somerset House itself is a great site and before or after your jaunt to the Courtauld Gallery, I highly recommend taking a stroll across the way to the other side to their cafes, and on a nice day it's a fantastic idea to sit outside with a great view of the Thames.

really cute little art museum which specialises in Impressionism. I came on the Monday which is half price entry and it was not very crowded. The layout of the museum is very easy to navigate. You do a loop on each level so you don't miss any of the art. There are a load of Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, and Modigliani masterpieces. The current exhibit is the Gaugin exhibit which was very comprehensive. A little gem of a museum in the city.

A very special gallery, hosting some world-famous, influential pieces of art. A great place to be inspired and transposed. They're currently in the midst of engineering a new exhibition, so one floor was empty, but I felt the gallery held just the right amount of art, so you didn't feel bombarded and exhausted. The gift shop has some lovely books and items, definitely recommend gift shopping there - especially if you're buying for a child who is interested in culture.

I'm a total sucker for Impressionist paintings, so Courtauld was high on my must-see list. I ended up feeling underwhelmed by it, though, and felt that the National Gallery offered a better selection of this kind of art! Courtauld is basically two small floors of artwork in a very beautiful building/area. I'm not sad I went here (it was free with our London Pass cards), but I wouldn't call this the must-see site that I, myself, expected it to be.

The Courtauld Gallery is a very nice art museum in the Somerset House on the Strand in Central London. The collection of the Courtauld Institute of Art is spread over four levels from the Renaissance to the 20th Century. The collection is mostly known for its French Impressionist and Post-impressionist paintings. One of the highlights was Vincent van Gogh's Self-portrait with bandaged ear. There are also works from Anthony van Duck, Cézanne, Degas, Gauguin, Rousseau, Monet, Seurat, and Renoir. I loved Soutine's Portraits: Cooks, Waiters, and Bellboys. Soutine was one of the leading painters in Paris in the 1920s and 1930s. He became fascinated by the cooks and waiting staff at the French hotels and restaurants including the famous Maxim's. The remarkable portraits have emotion and soul and transform me back to the culinary world and to Paris. This is the first exhibition on Soutine in the UK in 35 years. I have seen La Petite Pâtissier before and I loved him. The entry fee is £10.50 per adult. You can also become a Friend for £60 a year with unlimited entry. There is a nice gift shop across from the entry. www.courtlauld.ac.uk

Excellent museum that doesn't take more than an hour to enjoy! There's an exhibit taking up most of floor 1 which sped up the process as the art in that exhibit was not my cup of tea. The best art is on the 2nd floor. Enjoy your time there! An incredible collection!

Visited on 3/29/15: This gallery is a part of the London Pass. It is small in size but hold incredible works of Art: Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt, etc. There was a special exhibition which consisted of black and whites.

Fantastic little gallery. Reminded us of Phillip's gallery in DC. Highly recommend visiting this gallery that is not part the usual must-sees in London.

As far as galleries go, the Courtauld doesn't quite measure up to Britain's other art exhibitions. A personal collection housed in Somerset House, the Institute is a little bit stuffy and "hoity toity" but has great art. Courtauld split up his personal collection between this gallery and the National Gallery and honestly, unless there is a specific painting you want to see here, you are better of going to the National Gallery. For one, the people are nicer at the Gallery and the Courtauld Institute has a hefty admission fee. I don't want to bash this exhibit too much, I mean I am giving it 4 stars! I would just suggest researching what they have here before you go to make sure it is worth your time and money.

There are some Van Gogh, Gaugin, and Seurat masterpieces here in this cozy, small gallery, or at a least relatively smaller space than the mega-museums of London. On my visit, I was able to sit on a bench and stare at some of my favorite pieces for as long as I wanted, alone in a gallery room for sometimes fifteen minutes or more. Generally, a visit can be less tourist-filled and crowd-heavy, lending to a more intimate experience.

The Courtauld might perhaps be better respected abroad than it is domestically. I first heard its name some years ago when its collection took a transatlantic jaunt to my native Toronto and was so successful that tickets were sold out well far in advance, to the extent that they were being hawked on the street like those for U2 concerts. When I popped down to Somerset House for the first time to check out the Courtauld on its home turf I was somewhat less impressed than I had been at the dowdy old Art Gallery of Ontario, but this was unfair. I had just spent my first morning at the Tate Modern and had clearly been spoiled by its riches, and by the inherent richness of such a visionary redevelopment. The Courtauld feels...stodgy, the poor thing. But it has so much to offer, and consequently I must revere it whilst staying politely away.

A small, but well-curated gallery in the gorgeous and historic Somerset House (a giant 18th C estate). Perfect for a rainy afternoon. The Courtald Gallery and Institute have great gift shops too, as does Somerset House. Afterwards, go get a glass of wine at Fernandez and Wells or a coffee and cake at Tom's Deli. Both locations in Somerset House.

The Courtauld has some of the best art we own in Britain but for some reason isn't quite as famous as some of the more popular old museums. Attached to the Courtauld Institute, the most prestigious place to study History of Art at undergraduate level and above, the place is imbued with a sort of scholarly air so when you browse through the art organised chronologically from the Renaissance to the twentieth century, you feel a real part of that intellectualism. The gallery has a particularly strong Impressionist department, with some really beautiful works including 'Monet's Autumn Effect at Argentueil', my personal favourite. It's also part of the same building as Somerset House, so around Christmas you can watch the ice skaters on the festive temporary ice rink and have a hot chocolate in the cafe.

It's true the Courtauld may not have the hype that theTate or National Gallery gather but it certainly has a nice collection worth looking at. Sometimes, I find that the bigger museums can eventually wear me out but the Courtauld keeps it short and sweet.

The Courtauld has one of the most important ad best-loved collection in Britain, ranging from the Renaissence to the 20th century. The collection is displayed in the elegant 18th-century setting of Somerset House. The Courtauld is best known for its outstanding Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings, including masterpieces by Monet, Van gogh and Cézanne. Earlier works on display inslude paintings by Botticelli, Rubens and gainsborough, as well as a range of decorative arts. The display extend into the 20th century with paintings by matisse, Derain and kandisky. This exceptional collection was formed through a series of gifts and bequets made by some of the leading collectors of the 19th and 20th centurie, including Samuel Courtauld and Count Antoine Seilern. The Gallery is at the heart of The Courtauld Insistute of Art, one of the world's leading centres for the teaching and research of art history and conservation.