London Culture 01

Paul Gauguin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

I had quite a cultural day in the nation's capital yesterday. First I got myself down to the Courtauld Gallery (it's half price on Mondays). There is a summer exhibition at the moment on Gauguin. Most of the artefacts are on permanent display but the exhibition (of five paintings, a sculpture, some prints and a few other things) is done well. See more here.

10 London Art Galleries

1. National Gallery, Trafalgar Square
2. Tate Britain, Millbank
3. Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly
4. Wallace Collection, Manchester Square
5. Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House
6. Dulwich Picture Gallery, Dulwich
7. Tate Modern, Bankside
8. Kenwood House, Hampstead
9. Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace
10. Guildhall Gallery, City of London

Courtauld Gallery

Last Tuesday I was at the Courtauld Gallery in Somerset House, another gem tucked away in London's teeming streets. It was another trip with the History of Art Class I've been with this year at the King's Cross Working Men's College. It's normally £6 to get in at the Courtauld but worth it. The current exhibition is Picasso 1901. It's good to see paintings all from one (crucial) year. The paintings are hung in two different rooms and there is certainly a noticeable difference between the two as Picasso explored different styles. The main gallery has this famous Manet which we enjoyed spending time on and several other paintings mostly of the impressionist and post-impressionist schools but plenty of Rubens and others too. More here.