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Courtauld Institute Gallery Review

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Courtauld Institute Gallery

Address: Somerset House, Strand, Covent Garden, London, WC2R 0RN
Phone: 020/7848-2526
www.courtauld.ac.uk

Category: Museums/Galleries
Location: Soho and Covent Garden

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 4.4/5

Fodor's Review:

One of London's most beloved art collections, the Courtauld is to your left as you pass through the archway into the grounds of the beautifully restored, grand 18th-century classical Somerset House. Founded in 1931 by the textile magnate Samuel Courtauld to house his remarkable private collection, this is one of the world's finest impressionist and postimpressionist galleries, with artists ranging from Bonnard to van Gogh. A déjà-vu moment with Cézanne, Degas, Seurat, or Monet awaits on every wall (Manet's Bar at the Folies-Bergère is the star), with bonus post-Renaissance works thrown in. Botticelli, Brueghel, Tiepolo, and Rubens are also represented, thanks to the exquisite bequest of Count Antoine Seilern's Princes Gate collection. German Renaissance paintings, bequeathed in 1947, include the colorful and delightfully wicked Adam and Eve by Lucas Cranach the Elder. There are also some bold and bright Fauvist paintings. Don't miss the little café downstairs. The Courtauld Institute of Art (on the other side of the entrance archway) is part of London University and trains art historians and conservators.

Cost: £5, free Mon. 10-2, except bank holidays
Open: Daily 10-6; last admission 5:30
Tube: Covent Garden, Holborn, Temple

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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by bigboroboy from London on 1/17/09
I've put value at 3 but this gallery is free on Mondays before 2pm. A great collection for those interested into impressionism.

Member Rating: 3.8
Ratings details: Experience: 4.0 Ease: 5.0 Value: 3.0 Don't Miss: 3.0

Reviewed by bachslunch from US on 4/2/08
Small, but top quality collection with some must-see Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings. A delight after visiting some of London's bigger museums.