The Courtauld Institute

Visit one of the finest London galleries, the Courtauld Gallery. The foundation of The Courtauld Institute of Art was presided over by a triumvirate of collectors, brought together by a common wish to improve the understanding of the visual arts in this country. By 1930 the idea of such an academic centre devoted to the serious study of the history of art had been in the air for some time.  
The city of London has centuries old traditions and architectural masterpieces speak about its great past.The Courtauld Gallery is one of the finest small museums in the world. Its collection stretches from the early Renaissance into the 20th century and is particularly renowned for the unrivalled collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings. The Gallery also holds an outstanding collection of drawings and prints and fine example of sculpture and decorative arts.
The gallery is at the heart of The Courtauld Institute of Art, one of the world’s leading centres for the study of art history and conservation.  The collection is an exceptional resource for the Institute’s students, many of whom go on to fill prestigious international positions as curators, scholars, critics, artists and dealers.
The Courtauld Gallery is located at Somerset House, an 18th century palace on the banks of the Thames, designed by William Chambers. Once the home of Royal Academy of Art, the galleries are an elegant and intimate space in which to enjoy the outstanding collection. London open top bus tours enable you to jump on and off the buses and visit London attractions at your leisure.   
The collection of The Courtauld Gallery is the result of a series of outstanding gifts and bequests by some of the leading collectors of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Samuel Courtauld and Count Antoine Seilern. This has created a collection of great depth and quality which retains some of the character of its private origins.  
 
Manet's 'Bar at the Folies-Bergeres', Van Gogh's 'Self-Portrait with a Bandaged Ear' and Renoir's 'La Loge' are just a few of the celebrated artworks displayed at the Courtauld in the Strand Block of the glorious, 18th century Somerset House. 530 paintings, 7000 drawings and 15,000 prints combine to create one of the most notable collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Old Master works on display today. Monet, Pissarro, Degas, Seurat, Rousseau, Toulouse-Lautrec, Modigliani and eight of Cezanne's key pieces all feature in the collection originally presented to the gallery by its founder Samuel Courtauld in 1932. Add to this examples of medieval, Renaissance and modern sculpture, ceramics, metalwork, furniture and textiles and you have a gallery of major significance and international worth.

Visit the Courtauld Gallery to know more about the history of art and its conservation. You can also join a London bus tour and discover the array of attractions waiting for you in London.