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Why the Courtauld Gallery Is One of London’s Best Small Art Museums

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Last updated on December 20th, 2025 at 07:15 pm

The highlights of the Courtauld Gallery include an outstanding Impressionist collection featuring works by Monet, Manet, van Gogh, Cézanne, and Gauguin alongside a beautifully curated medieval collection that makes this compact museum such a rewarding place to visit.

This post is part of my guide to artsy & independent travel in England, where I share my best tips for exploring England’s creative cities, historic sites, literature, theater, and cultural experiences.

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Courtauld Gallery: Quick Facts

• Location: Somerset House, Strand, central London
• Type: Art museum and gallery
• Known for: World-class Impressionist and medieval collections
• Highlights: Works by Monet, Manet, van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin, Fra Angelico, and more
• Size: Small, compact museum, ideal for a focused 1–2 hour visit
• Affiliation: Part of the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London
• Best for: Artsy travelers, art lovers, and visitors seeking an intimate museum experience
• Good to know: Recently reopened after a major three-year renovation
• Tickets: Advance booking recommended, especially on weekends and during special exhibitions; check the website.

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What is the Courtauld Gallery?

The Courtauld Gallery is one of London’s most respected small art museums. Located at Somerset House in central London, the gallery is part of the renowned Courtauld Institute of Art, which is one of the world’s leading centers for the study of art history, conservation, and curatorship.

After a major three-year renovation, the Courtauld Gallery reopened as a beautifully reimagined space that is nothing short of spectacular.

The redesign enhances both the flow of the galleries and the display of the collection, making it easier, and even more rewarding, for visitors to experience some of Western Europe’s finest Impressionist and medieval artworks in an intimate setting.

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Impressionist Collection at the Courtauld Gallery

Like the vast majority of visitors, I headed first to the top floor to view the Impressionist collection and the special exhibition of paintings by Edvard Munch (see my review of this exhibition).

The Impressionist paintings at the Courtauld attract the most visitors and the room housing them can get a bit crowded.

I walked into the large room containing a delicious collection of Impressionists and immediately had to sit down to prevent myself from falling down and embarrassing myself. What I really wanted to do is laugh out loud and twirl myself past masterpiece after masterpiece, giddy with the beauty surrounding me.

When, finally, I collected myself, I began pacing slowly and reverently past gorgeous painting after gorgeous painting by all the biggies—Monet, Cézanne, Gauguin, Renoir, and many others.

If you’re wondering what to see at the Courtauld Gallery, the Impressionist rooms are the obvious place to start.

Here are just a few of the highlights of the Impressionist collection.

Tall Trees at the Jas de Bouffan by Paul Cézanne

Cézanne painted many views of the countryside surrounding Jas de Bouffan, a rural estate outside Aix-en-Provence owned by Cézanne’s father. Having visited the area, I can attest that Cézanne captures the shimmering quality of the light and the particularly vivid shades of green unique to Provence. My favorite Cézannes are his paintings of the Provence landscape.

Young Woman Powdering Herself by Georges Seurat

I’ve long been a fan of Georges Seurat who created the “pointillist” style of painting. He followed newly formulated optical theories by placing colors from opposite sides of the color wheel — orange and blue, pink and green — next to each other to create contrast. Seurat died at age 31 but he left behind some stunning works, this one being his only major portrait.

Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear by Vincent van Gogh

I couldn’t believe the Courtauld had this piece! It’s one of my favorite van Goghs. I love how he contrasts the various colors — blue hat, green coat, orange face — and includes the image of one of the Japanese prints he collected. Van Gogh was heavily influenced by Japanese printmaking. He painted this piece in 1889, a week after leaving hospital following the famous incident when he cut off a portion of his left ear after a heated argument with Paul Gauguin. Even injured, van Gogh was determined to keep painting.

The Haystacks by Paul Gauguin

And speaking of Gauguin, I was thrilled to see this piece which he painted while he was living in Brittany. Gregg Simpson (husband and painter) had been working on the Pont Aven Suite, a series inspired by Gauguin’s Brittany paintings, so Gauguin had been a regular topic of a conversation in our house. I love how Gauguin simplifies and flattens forms and colors. This piece has so much movement, the women raking hay above and the man driving the oxen below.

A Bar at the Folies-Bergère by Edouard Manet

Fabulous as all the pieces in the Impressionist collection are, the best of all is my old friend A Bar at the Folies-Bergères by Manet. What a painting!

The young barmaid (the model’s name was Suzon) looks out at the viewer, her expression both bored and vulnerable at the same time. According to the descriptive text next to the piece, “Manet created a complex and absorbing composition that is considered one of the iconic paintings of modern life”. That is certainly true!

Suzon is every person in the world working in a dead-end job they hate but yet are obliged to pretend they enjoy for the sake of the customers.

Medieval Collection at the Courtauld Gallery

After thoroughly exploring the top floor, I began my descent to the other two floors to explore the rest of the Courtauld Gallery’s collection. I was in for a treat as it turned out.

One of my favorite eras for painting is the Middle Ages, particularly the first half of the 14^th century when artists were not worried about perspective and realism. I love the use of gold, the pastel shades of the egg tempera paint that the artists used, and the LEGO-like way in which they depicted medieval buildings.

Well, the Courtauld delivered! To my delight, it houses a lovely medieval collection that includes such notables as Lorenzetti and Duccio, two hometown boys from Siena, my fave Italian city (and one of the settings for The Towers of Tuscany).

As is often the case in art museums, the medieval rooms were pretty much empty so I drifted from painting to painting and admired to my heart’s content.

A highlight was a series of small panels painted by Fra Angelico (1417-1455) that depicts six female saints. Each face is incredibly expressive and compelling. I wonder who Fra Angelico used as models.

Other Highlights of the Courtauld Gallery Collection

After thoroughly exploring and enjoying the large collection of medieval art, I toured the rest of the collection. There’s a fair number of works from the 16th to the 19th centuries, including works by Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Reynolds, and Rubens.

One reason the Courtauld is considered one of the best small art museums in London is its compact size and because each piece in the collection is stellar. I don’t think I’ve ever visited an art museum where the quality of all the pieces is so uniformly high.

After my visit, I got chatting with the young man in the gift shop. He enthusiastically agreed that the Courtauld’s collection is first-rate and also kindly listened to me rattle on about how I first visited the Courtauld with my mom back in 1970 (likely a good forty years before he was born!)

Here are two more of my favorites at the Courtauld Gallery.

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Courtauld Gallery Practical Information

The Courtauld Gallery in London is open Monday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. Book your ticket in advance on the website to avoid line-ups and also to make sure you get in! Check the website for special exhibitions. The Munch exhibition I saw was definitely worth the extra price.

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Courtauld Gallery FAQs

Here are questions I’ve been asked about visiting the Courtauld Gallery in London:

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Where to Stay in London

Stay as close to the center of London as you can afford. You’ll be able to walk to a lot more places that you want to see and you’ll feel like you’re where the action is!

Here are three recommendations:

• Park Plaza Victoria London Hotel located right across the street from Victoria Station is good value for the money for a modern, four-star hotel in the heart of London.
• Wilde ApartHotel just off the Strand is an excellent choice and couldn’t be more central for the West End Theaters. It’s also within easy walking distance of the Courtauld Gallery.
• The ParkCity in Kensington is a bit farther off the beaten track but very close to some of my favorite museums, including the Victoria & Albert.

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London Tours & Tickets

Here are some options for touring London and buying tickets for interesting museums such as the Design Museum and other attractions.

London Walking Tours

GuruWalk lists pay-what-you-please walking tours that connect tourists with tour guides all around the world. Check out their tours of London!

Continue Exploring London’s Museums

Here are more posts about favorite galleries and museums in London:

• How to Get the Most Out of Your Visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London
• What To See At London’s National Gallery: The Best Of The Best
• Things to See at the Design Museum in London

For all posts about England, see Visiting England.