The Courtauld Gallery, London

A smaller art gallery that contains several world-famous treasures

London’s Courtauld Gallery is well worth a visit. Although relatively small it contains several well-known paintings that are of international importance and which can be viewed at leisure in a relaxed environment that is usually free from crowds.

The Courtauld Gallery

The Courtauld Gallery is an integral part of the Courtauld Institute of Art, which was founded in 1932 by Samuel Courtauld (1876–1947) and Viscount Lee of Fareham (1868–1947). Both men were extremely wealthy (Courtauld’s fortune came from the family firm of Courtaulds Ltd, a multinational textiles and chemical company) and both were avid collectors of works of art, particularly, in Courtauld’s case, of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. Their collection formed the core of what is now available for view at the Courtauld Gallery, together with the results of further gifts and bequests. The fact that the Courtauld Gallery is a “collection of collections”, rather than the result of a deliberate purchasing policy, means that the masterpieces on view do not represent the whole sweep of the history of art but are particularly strong in some areas and weak or absent in others.