This must be my favorite place in London to admire paintings or drawings. The Courtauld Gallery is located at Somerset House and presents an amazing collection of world-famous masterpieces, stretching from the early Renaissance into the 20th century. The collection is “the result of a series of gifts and bequests by some of the leading collectors of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Samuel Courtauld“.
I visit the gallery at least twice a year to enjoy this beautiful place and stunning collection. Let me show you my best discoveries at the Courtauld Gallery…

A beautiful place

I love wandering in the Courtauld Gallery, walking at my own pace (meaning I’m without kids around!) from one room to another… You can even go on a virtual tour with this link to see what kind of beautiful gallery you can enjoy in London. Somerset House is a 18th century building, which was before the home of the Royal Academy of Art. Each room is very bright and the art collection very well highlighted.

A stunning collection

The ground floor is dedicated to some decorative art and delicate Renaissance art pieces.

But my favorite rooms are upstairs, as they hold the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings which I am so fond of.

Raoul Dufy, Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Degas, Modigliani, even Le Douanier Rousseau and Cranach… This collection is amazing!

I am always so surprised to feel quite alone in these rooms where so many treasures are hidden…

Sculptures are also well-represented as you can see it…

A renowned collection of drawings

Some rooms present famous and qualitative drawings, which makes the Gallery Courtauld a must-see in London.

Such precisions with such simple colours and materials are really impressive…

Georgiana Houghton: Spirit Drawings

I discovered the 19th century spiritualist artist Georgiana Houghton while I was at the Courtauld Gallery last time. I thought her drawings were incredible, with their superposition of colours and shapes that almost give the drawings a 3D appearance!

The Courtauld Gallery is full of surprises and treasures. I recommend it to anyone looking for great places out of the crowd. Somerset House is located in the heart of London, you definitely can’t miss it!

And if you go there, please share your best impressions on this blog…:-)