Was reminiscing about past trips, and this sublime gallery just popped into my head. I visited the Courtauld Gallery back in 2006, and it was one of the highlights of my trip. There's so many excellent museums there, but this beautiful gem was a must-see for me.
I so wanted to share the gallery with Hubby, but we didn't have time for a revisit. He wanted to spend some time at the Tate Modern, which was just ok. Though, the next time he visited he said there was an awesome exhibit there, some ginormous 2-story spider sculpture really impressed him.
£5 for the main gallery back then, apparently still is. The website now has this WONDERFUL 360° virtual gallery. It's utterly fantastic. OMG I can pretend I'm there again. I'm so happy.
Somerset House is really nice, if a bit creaky in places. Instead of grouping by artist or genre, it was grouped by collector, which I liked. Different sitting rooms housed some of each collector’s works, which really enhanced enjoyment of the works. It felt like I was wandering through the living rooms of someone's elegant house (palace), and felt the collectors' personalities and tastes. Excellent works like:
* Renoir’s La Loge (loved!) and Portrait of Ambroise Vollard
* van Gogh’s Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear
* A later version of Manet’s Dejeuner sur l’Herbe
* Gauguin’s Nevermore
* Modigliani’s Female Nude
*Degas’ Two Dancers on the Stage
* Jawlensky’s Manola
* Lucas Cranach the Elder’s Adam and Eve
* Rubens’ The Family of Jan Brueghel the Elder
* Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergère!!!!! Unbelievably fantastic. One of my all-time favorite works. I can't convey how thrilled I was standing in front of it. Back in college I had a poster of it on my wall, and I'd even picked it for a term paper subject. Loved, loved, loved!!!
I spent a leisurely 2 hours, alone at times, and was able to see everything. Afterwards I had lunch at the neat little café downstairs - a cheap English ham/Dijon baguette and latte. Tasty. Popular place for business lunchers, and many EU-area visitors.
Can't wait to visit again.
The Petrona Award 2026 - Longlist
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1 comment:
I had the chance to go to history museum in London for a few . .. seconds. . .I caught the worst case of the flu twice while I was there - so I think I remember seeing an Egyptian statue of a woman where both of her breasts had been knocked off and had remarked about it - I hate seeing damage that's obvious vandalism.
I miss the museums in LA - I went to the Petty museum when they had the van Gogh showing - omg. . .I've never wanted to STEAL anything until I saw his paintings. . .I would have taken the whole lot if I thought I could get away with it!
There aren't many really GOOD museums here in this neck of the woods/boonies. I must start a fad. Yes.
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