Courtauld Institute of Art – Gallery Overview
Edouard Manet, Peter Paul Rubens, Edgar Degas, Raoul Dufy and Others
Jun 16, 2009
London's Courtauld Gallery (Courtauld Institute of Art) is located at Somerset House on the Strand. Some 20,000 prints, 530 paintings and 7,000 drawings, together with medieval, Renaissance and modern sculpture, textiles, metalwork, ceramics and furniture are included in the collection.
Establishing the Courtauld Institute of Art
During the 1920s/30s there had been plans to establish an academic institute devoted to the study of art and art history. There was considerable opposition to these plans – non-believers thought that art, and the study of art, were only for the rich!
It is due to the efforts of three men, Viscount Lee of Fareham, Samuel Courtauld and Sir Robert Witt that the Institute exists today. They came from very different backgrounds but they all shared one great passion: all three were art enthusiasts and collectors.
Arthur Hamilton Lee was a British soldier, politician and diplomat. He had the ability and influence to establish a centre for the study of art, but it was Samuel Courtauld who provided most of the money.
Samuel Courtauld's wealth was rooted in textiles but his family, through several generations, had always been avid supporters of the arts. Courtauld purchased a number of pieces by Paul Cézannes and the French Impressionists and leased Home House, a London property, in which to display his collection. In 1931, on the death of his wife, he gave Home House to the new institute to use until a permanent site could be found. The venue was home to the Courtauld Gallery for nearly sixty years.
The third member of the trio, Sir Robert Witt, was a lawyer and keen collector of Old Master drawings. His main contribution to the Institute was a considerable collection of reproductions of paintings.
Highlights of the Collection
Nude Study for the Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer by Edgar Degas
The Courtauld has a comprehensive collection of sculptures including the Nude Study for the Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer (1878-9), by painter and sculpture Edgar Degas (1834-1917). Degas was known for his compositions and portraits in a strong classical style.
Les Barques aux Martigues by Raoul Dufy
The collection also includes Les Barques aux Martigues (The Boats at Martigues, 1907), by the French Fauvist painter Raoul Dufy (1877-1953). Dufy favoured strong brilliant colours with intermittent heavy black contours as can be seen in this example.
A Bar at the Folies Bergère by Edouard Manet
Another important highlight of this collection is A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1881-2), by the French painter Edouard Manet (1832-83). The painting shows a scene in the Folies-Bergère nightclub in Paris and contains many references specific to the club. For example, in the upper left-hand corner there is a pair of green feet belonging to a trapeze artist who is entertaining the club's patrons. This painting was the last major work by the artist.
Morelli-Nerli Marriage Chests
The Gallery's collection also includes medieval items such as the Morelli-Nerli marriage chests or cassoni, dating from 1472. These chests still have their original decorated spalliere or backboards, and are the only pair known to have survived intact.
Public Events at the Courtauld Gallery
To help visitors understand the works on display the Gallery offers a varied programme of public events including gallery talks, family events, discussions and debates. Full details of events and exhibitions can be found at The Courtauld Gallery.
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