You searched for van gogh - Courtauld / Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:43:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.5 First major European exhibition by Salman Toor opens at the Courtauld Gallery on 2 October /about-us/press-office/press-releases/salman-toor-someone-like-you-courtauld-gallery-2-oct/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:01:59 +0000 /?page_id=171858 The post First major European exhibition by Salman Toor opens at the Courtauld Gallery on 2 October appeared first on Courtauld.

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Opening 2 October 2026, the Courtauld presents the first solo exhibition in Europe of the artist Salman Toor, acclaimed for his arresting paintings of the contemporary experience and urban life. The exhibition brings together an outstanding selection of the artist＊s most iconic, thought-provoking and at times humorous paintings, never-before-seen in Britain.?

Salman Toor (b.1983) was born in Lahore, Pakistan, and lives and works in New York. His paintings capture people in moments of friendship and love, as well as solitude and alienation.?The exhibition at the Courtauld will present 19 paintings, all created since 2019,?that focus on Toor＊s exploration of human interactions and the desire and struggle to experience a sense of belonging, both culturally and emotionally.?The exhibition will be complemented by a special display of?Toor＊s?drawings?in the Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery.??

While?Toor＊s?figures and?scenes?are fictional, they are?rooted in?his?personal experiences?and memories.?Speaking of his works, he?says they?※depict queer and immigrant lives that?straddle?different cultures?and inhabit the tension between intimacy and exposure,?belonging?and estrangement. What it means to find a community, but also the daily costs associated with visibility§.?

His paintings?offering intimate views into the imagined lives of young, queer South Asian men in New York, where he has lived most of his adult life,?are?tender?and sensual representations of cosmopolitan urban life.?Evocative colour palettes and references to art history add a fantastical element to his narratives.?The Bar on 13th?Street?(2019) depicts a bartender sporting braids, a gold bangle, nail polish, and?ribbons, drawing on different sources, from the dimly lit scenes of 17th?century Dutch tavern paintings to the more overt reference to ?douard Manet＊s?A Bar at the Folies-Berg豕re,?in?the Courtauld＊s own?collection.?In?Bar Boy?(2019),?which evokes the?nightlife in New York＊s East Village, a young man＊s face illuminated by his smartphone as he stands isolated?and distracted?in a bustling?club.???

Another subject on display is a series that Toor began in 2019, which addresses the experiences of immigrants at border control. Toor＊s personal experience has informed these works that depict marginalised individuals＊?encounters?when crossing borders, and their senses of freedom or restriction.?In?Man with Face Creams and Phone Plug?(2019), a man with his head down awaits a customs official＊s inspection of?his belongings,?laid out on a table.?Other?portraits?are depicted in?Group B?(2020) and?Citizens?(2022).??

Toor＊s?work is rooted in a deep engagement with and admiration for the Old Masters, in particular Baroque and 18th?century painting, and the Courtauld is?a?museum he?particularly?admires. His paintings draw on a broad range of historic and contemporary stylistic references, from European art history?to?the Mughal School,?but also?contemporary painting, photography, and graphic novels.?The Joke?(2024) evokes Parisian?fin de si豕cle nightlife while ironically presenting a contemporary, tourist experience.?In?Museum Boys?(2021), the dandyish fashion on view 每 a buckled wide-brim hat, a shawl, a pearl earring 每 recall Vermeer, as two male figures stand looking at a vitrine containing a pink shoe, a half-naked sleeping man, and a?Duchamp-like?inverted urinal.?Ghost Ball?(2023), one of the artist＊s largest and most ambitious paintings, from the Pinault Collection,?presents a group of?figures?dancing?to the sound of musicians, inspired by the masterpiece?Dancing Villagers?(c.1730), attributed to?renowned?artist Pandit Seu who worked in?India in the 18th?century.??

Salman Toor: Someone Like You?features key loans from major public collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York;?the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York;?National Gallery of Art, Washington; The Baltimore Museum of Art; Dallas Museum of Arts;?and the Pinault Collection,?as well as private collections.??

The exhibition will be accompanied by a display in the Gilbert?and?Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery of?Toor＊s works on paper,?including?Fag Puddle in Vitrine?(2021),?acquired?by the Courtauld in 2024.?The display?showcases?Toor＊s mastery of drawing and the way it informs his practice as a painter.?

Salman Toor＊s first major?museum?solo exhibition,?Salman Toor: How?Will I Know?took place at the Whitney Museum?in New York?in 2020. In 2022?No?Ordinary Love?opened at the Baltimore Museum of Art,?and travelled to the Tampa Museum of Art, the Honolulu Museum of Art, and the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA in 2023-2024. A suite of his works was featured in the 60th?Venice Biennale in 2024.??

The exhibition?is accompanied by a new catalogue, edited by?Dr Elena Crippa, Senior Curator?of?Contemporary?at the Courtauld Gallery,?with contributions by?Richard Meyer,?Robert and Ruth Halperin Professor in Art History, Department of Art and Art History,?Stanford University, California; and Aziz Sohail, a curator?researcher,?and Teaching Fellow with the Department of Fine Art, Monash University, Melbourne.?

This exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery has received Lead Support from the Bukhman Foundation?and the Salman Toor Exhibition Circle, with Additional Support from the Ryan Taylor Collection.?The exhibition media partner is?Another Man?and Dazed.?

?Courtauld Members?can enjoy the exhibition without the crowds at a preview on Thursday 1 October, 14:00 每 18:00,?and also?get free unlimited entry to all exhibitions, access to presale tickets, priority booking to selected events, advance notice of art history short courses, exclusive events, discounts and more. Join at?courtauld.ac.uk/members??


2 October 2026 每 10 Jan 2027?
Denise Coates Exhibition Galleries, Floor 3?


2 October 2026 每 10 Jan 2027?
Gilbert and?Ildik?Butler Drawings Gallery, Floor 1??

Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN??

Opening hours: 10:00 每 18:00 (last entry 17:15).
Temporary Exhibition tickets (including entry to our Permanent Collection and displays) from ?16. Courtauld Members and 18s and?under go?free. Other concessions available.???

Media?Contacts:
?Courtauld?
/about-us/press-office/?
media@courtauld.ac.uk??

Bolton & Quinn?
Erica Bolton | erica@boltonquinn.com | +44 (0)20 7221 5000
Daisy Taylor I susie@boltonquinn.com | +44 (0)20 7221 5000?

Notes to Editors:??

Courtauld?
The Courtauld works to advance how we see and understand the visual arts, as an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history and a major public gallery. Founded by collectors and philanthropists in 1932, the organisation has been at the forefront of the study of art ever since through advanced research and conservation practice, innovative teaching, the renowned?collection?and inspiring exhibitions of its gallery, and engaging and accessible activities,?education?and events.??

The Courtauld Gallery cares for one of the greatest art collections in the UK, presenting these works to the public at the Courtauld Gallery in central London, as well as through loans and partnerships. The Gallery is most famous for its iconic Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces 每 such as Van Gogh＊s?Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear?硃紳餃?紼硃紳梗喧＊莽?A Bar at the?Folies-Berge?re. It?showcases?these alongside an internationally renowned collection of works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the present day.??

Academically, the 鎊飪TV厙桴 is the largest community of art historians and conservators in the UK, teaching and conducting research on subjects ranging from creativity in late Antiquity to contemporary digital art forms 每 with an increasingly global focus. An independent college of the University of London, the Courtauld offers a range of degree programmes from BA to PhD in the History of Art, curating, art and business and the conservation of easel and wall paintings. Its alumni are leaders and innovators in the arts,?culture?and business worlds, helping to shape the global agenda for the arts and creative industries.??

Founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art, the Courtauld works to increase understanding of the role of art throughout history, across all societies and geographies, and to champion its importance in the present day. This could be through exhibitions offering a chance to look closely at world-famous works; events bringing art history research to new audiences; accessible short courses; digital engagement, innovative school, family, and community programmes; or taking a formal qualification. The Courtauld＊s ambition is to transform access to art history education, ensuring as many people as possible can?benefit?from the tools it offers to better understand the visual world around us.??

The Courtauld is an exempt charity and relies on generous philanthropic support to achieve its mission of advancing the understanding of the visual arts of the past and present across the world through advanced research, innovative teaching, inspiring exhibitions,?programmes?and collections.??

The collection cared for by the Courtauld Gallery is owned by the Samuel Courtauld Trust.?

?

Download the press release

Salman Toor press release

The post First major European exhibition by Salman Toor opens at the Courtauld Gallery on 2 October appeared first on Courtauld.

]]> Paintings by Picasso, Magritte and Man Ray to go on display at the Courtauld Gallery as part of a major partnership with the Reuben Foundation /about-us/press-office/press-releases/paintings-by-picasso-magritte-and-man-ray-to-go-on-display-at-the-courtauld-gallery/ Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:27:14 +0000 /?page_id=171446 The post Paintings by Picasso, Magritte and Man Ray to go on display at the Courtauld Gallery as part of a major partnership with the Reuben Foundation appeared first on Courtauld.

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Press images:???

A new display,?Modern Painting from the Courtauld and Reuben?Collections, made possible by the long-term partnership between the Courtauld and the Reuben Foundation, will open at the Courtauld Gallery on?18 September 2026.?

Featuring outstanding works by Cezanne, Modigliani, L谷ger, Picasso, and Magritte, the display explores radical?new approaches?to painting in the first half of the 20th century.???

The Courtauld＊s partnership with the Reuben Foundation,?launched in 2025,?enables works?of art?from the Reuben?Collection?to?be made available to the public?as part of the Courtauld Gallery＊s?displays. It?allows the?Gallery to extend its celebrated?presentation?of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art into the modern period.?

In October 2025, the Courtauld announced the largest financial gift in its history from the Reuben Foundation,?echoing the extraordinary philanthropy of the Courtauld＊s founder, Samuel Courtauld. The Foundation?is?supporting the development?of?the Courtauld＊s new Strand campus,?which, when it opens in 2029, will?be?one of?the?world＊s?most important centres?for the study of?the?history of art.??

Modern Painting from the Courtauld and Reuben Collections?begins with early 20th century paintings from the Courtauld,?including Paul?唬谷堝硃紳紳梗＊莽?Turning Road?(1905), a landscape conjured through near-abstract patches of?colour, and Amedeo Modigliani＊s?Nude?(c.1916), a radically direct and expressive painting that upended conventional approaches to the subject of the female nude. These set the stage for works from the Reuben Collection by painters who built on such innovations to chart new artistic directions.?

Major Cubist works by Juan Gris and Fernand L谷ger from 1914-1918, a period of significant avant-garde experimentation in Europe, took?唬谷堝硃紳紳梗＊莽?patchwork of brushstrokes to new extremes. They broke the illusion of representational painting by depicting their subjects as fragmented parts,?seemingly still?in the process of being?formed. A highlight of this area of the display is Man Ray＊s monumental?Black Widow (Nativity), painted in New York in 1915, and last?exhibited?in the UK more than fifty years ago. Although celebrated as?a?modernist photographer, Man Ray began his career as a painter. With this, one of his most significant early works, he created an epic modern figure painting out of Cubism and painted collage.?

A group of three paintings by Pablo Picasso from the period of the Second World War?demonstrate?the artist＊s continual reinvention of the traditions of painting. Picasso＊s two portraits of his partners,?Marie-Th谷r豕se Walter, 1937, and the photographer?Dora Maar, 1939, neither previously?exhibited?in this country, challenge and transform classical conventions of portraiture. The latter work offers a raw and unsettling image of Maar during the war. They are shown alongside his remarkable?Still Life with Basket of Fruits and Flowers?(1942); its spiky and fraught depiction of its humble objects powerfully expressing the tenor of wartime Paris.?

The Reuben Collection holds a significant collection of works by the Surrealist artist Ren谷 Magritte. Some of Magritte’s most famous compositions are included in this display, such as?The Dominion of Light?and?The Intimate Friend. Both works date from the 1950s and are characteristically elusive juxtapositions that offer the promise of new and unexpected meanings, such as a nocturnal scene under a sunlit sky, or the artist＊s iconic bowler-hatted man, overlaid with a wine glass and baguette. Magritte＊s?La Domaine?Arnheim, 1949, is a further highlight of this group. Its surreal image of a landscape through a shattered window is an encapsulation of the transformations and reinventions of modern painting since the time of?唬谷堝硃紳紳梗.?

The Courtauld Gallery has grown historically through the generosity of private individuals who have?endowed it with the remarkable collections they formed. This tradition of philanthropy,?initiated?at the Gallery by Samuel Courtauld in the 1930s, continues to extend and enhance?the Courtauld Gallery＊s world-famous collections.?In recent years,?the Courtauld Gallery?has?also?enriched its?displays?with works of art?loaned?to it from?other collections,?including?a group of paintings from?the Oskar Reinhart Collection?and?exceptional works from the Barber Institute of Fine Art?in Birmingham.?

Modern Painting from the Courtauld and Reuben?Collections?
Opening 18 September 2026?
Katja and Nicolai Tangen 20th Century Gallery, Floor 3?

/whats-on/exh-modern-painting-from-the-courtauld-and-reuben-collections/?

Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN??
Opening hours: 10:00 每 18:00 (last entry 17:15).?
Weekday and weekend tickets from ?12. Courtauld Members and Under-18s go free. Other concessions available.?

MEDIA CONTACTS?
Courtauld?
?

media@courtauld.ac.uk??

Bolton?& Quinn
Erica Bolton |?erica@boltonquinn.com?| +44 (0)20 7221 5000
Daisy Taylor |?daisy@boltonquinn.com?| +44 (0)20 7221 5000?

SOCIAL MEDIA – COURTAULD?
Facebook?@TheCourtauld?
Instagram?@Courtauld #TheCourtauld?
Threads?@courtauld?
TikTok?@TheCourtauld?
YouTube?TheCourtauld?

NOTES TO EDITORS??

About the Courtauld
The Courtauld works to advance how we see and understand the visual arts, as an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history and a major public gallery. Founded by collectors and philanthropists in 1932, the organisation has been at the forefront of the study of art ever since through advanced research and conservation practice, innovative teaching, the renowned?collection?and inspiring exhibitions of its gallery, and engaging and accessible activities,?education?and events.??

The Courtauld Gallery cares for one of the greatest art collections in the UK, presenting these works to the public at the Courtauld Gallery in central London, as well as through loans and partnerships. The Gallery is most famous for its iconic Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces 每 such as Van Gogh＊s?Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear?and Manet＊s?A Bar at the?Folies-Berge?re. It?showcases?these alongside an internationally renowned collection of works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the present day.??

Academically, the 鎊飪TV厙桴 is the largest community of art historians and conservators in the UK, teaching and conducting research on subjects ranging from creativity in late Antiquity to contemporary digital art forms 每 with an increasingly global focus. An independent college of the University of London, the Courtauld offers a range of degree programmes from BA to PhD in the History of Art, curating, art and business and the?conservation of easel and wall paintings. Its alumni are leaders and innovators in the arts,?culture?and business worlds, helping to shape the global agenda for the arts and creative industries.??

Founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art, the Courtauld works to increase understanding of the role of art throughout history, across all societies and geographies, and to champion its importance in the present day. This could be through exhibitions offering a chance to look closely at world-famous works; events bringing art history research to new audiences; accessible short courses; digital engagement, innovative school, family, and community programmes; or taking a formal qualification. The Courtauld＊s ambition is to transform access to art history education, ensuring as many people as possible can?benefit?from the tools it offers to better understand the visual world around us.??

The Courtauld is an exempt charity and relies on generous philanthropic support to achieve its mission of advancing the understanding of the visual arts of the past and present across the world through advanced research, innovative teaching, inspiring exhibitions,?programmes?and collections.??

The collection cared for by the Courtauld Gallery is owned by the Samuel Courtauld Trust.??

About the Reuben Foundation?

Formed in 2002, the Reuben Foundation is a UK charitable foundation focused on the advancement of healthcare, education and the community both in the UK and globally.??

Recent projects include the Reuben Scholarship Programme, which?assists?thousands of the most talented students from less advantaged backgrounds with financial support towards university living costs. The Reuben Scholarships Programme runs in partnership with the Universities of Oxford,?Cambridge?and Ark Schools. In 2020 the Reuben Foundation made a transformational gift to establish Reuben College at the University of Oxford, marking only the 39th college in the university＊s near-1,000-year history and the first new college at the university for 30 years.??

In the healthcare space gifts include the creation of the largest centre for paediatric cancer treatment in Europe at Great Ormond Street Hospital, a world-leading treatment and research centre at The Royal Marsden Hospital, and a new maternity ward and neonatal intensive care unit at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital as well as a new young people＊s centre designed to provide immediate, specialist and integrated care to young people in mental health crisis.?

Further information on the Reuben Foundation can be found at:??

Press Release – Modern Painting from the Courtauld and Reuben Collections

The post Paintings by Picasso, Magritte and Man Ray to go on display at the Courtauld Gallery as part of a major partnership with the Reuben Foundation appeared first on Courtauld.

]]> The Courtauld Gallery unveils first exhibition devoted to Barbara Hepworth’s work with colour /about-us/press-office/press-releases/the-courtauld-gallery-unveils-first-exhibition-devoted-to-barbara-hepworths-work-with-colour/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 11:26:34 +0000 /?page_id=171000 The post The Courtauld Gallery unveils first exhibition devoted to Barbara Hepworth’s work with colour appeared first on Courtauld.

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  • Uniting for the first time Barbara Hepworth’s radical painted sculptures from the 1940s
  • On view in a London gallery for the first time since it was acquired for the nation last year following major ?3.8 million fundraising appeal 每?Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form), Pale Blue and Red?(1943) 每 a breakthrough sculpture in Hepworth＊s career?and?recognised as a masterpiece of British abstract modernism.

The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition:?Hepworth in Colour
12 June?每 6 September?2026?

Press images:??

Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975),?Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red, 1943,?Wood, paint and strings on a painted wooden base.?Wakefield Permanent Art Collection (The Hepworth Wakefield).?Acquired with major support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Wolfson Foundation, and further impactful support from the Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation, The Forster Foundation, The Garcia Family Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Headley Trust, the Hepworth family, The Henry Moore Foundation, The Julia Rausing Trust, John Studzinski CBE and other generous individuals, foundations and trusts. Barbara Hepworth ? Bowness. Image ? The Hepworth Wakefield. Photo: Mark Heathcote.

The Courtauld?Gallery?presents?the first exhibition devoted to Barbara Hepworth＊s lifelong fascination with colour,?shedding light on an unexpected and unexplored aspect of the work of one of the most celebrated?British?artists of the 20th?century.?

Barbara Hepworth (1903每1975)?is best known?for her abstract?sculptures?inspired by nature and the rugged seaside landscapes of Cornwall,?where she lived and worked?from 1939.?Hepworth＊s?practice is?often characterised?in terms of?her?commitment to?direct carving?and?＆truth to?materials＊.?Little attention has been given to the importance of colour in her work.?Discussing her?innovative?use of colour?in 1970,?she?said:?※my colour has been?accepted,?but?never understood.§??

Bringing together?18?sculptures and?26?drawings?and paintings,?The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition:?Hepworth in?Colour?will be?the first exhibition to focus on this important but?often overlooked aspect of?Hepworth＊s?work.???

Hepworth＊s early interest in?painted?colour?dates to?the?mid-1930s?when she and her future husband, Ben Nicholson, formed part of the European avant-garde.?In?1939,?just before?outbreak of the?Second?World?War,?she?left?London for Cornwall?with her three young children,?taking?with her?a single sculpture 每?her?very?first study for a?sculpture?with colour.?Over the?following?years, the landscape of Cornwall?inspired?Hepworth?to develop this?initial?experiment,?moving her?work in new directions?and?establishing?a lifelong fascination with colour.?At the heart of the exhibition?will be?the?remarkable group of painted sculptures?made?between?1940 and 1948.?Hepworth?later?recalled?how,?※I used?colour?and strings in many of?the carvings of this time. The?colour in the concavities?plunged me into the depths of water,?caves?or shallows＃§.?These?early?works?include?the?boldly painted?stone?carvings?Eidos?(1947-8)?from the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne,?Australia?and?Sculpture with Colour?(Eos)?(1946)?from a private collection in Hong Kong. They?are?exhibited?together?in the UK?for the first time?since?1954.??

A major highlight of the exhibition will be the painted wood carving,?Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form), Pale Blue and Red,?of?1943, which was acquired by The Hepworth Wakefield in 2025 following the successful national fundraising campaign in collaboration with Art Fund to raise ?3.8 million.?Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form), Pale Blue and Red?marked a breakthrough moment in Hepworth＊s career, combining strings and colour and, for the first time, the beautiful pale blue, which she?associated with the Cornish skies and coast. In private hands since it was created, and rarely?exhibited, this will be the first time the sculpture is displayed in London since it was?acquired?for the nation.?For Hepworth,?the strings in her early sculptures?※were the tension I felt between myself and the sea, the wind or the hill§.?

Other iconic painted stringed sculptures in the exhibition include?Wave, 1943-44, from the National Galleries of Scotland and?Pelagos?(＆sea＊ in Greek), 1946 from Tate, the latter directly inspired by the sculptor＊s view from her studio onto the bay in St Ives in Cornwall.?The?exhibition also unites for the first time from private and public collections the six versions of?Sculpture with Colour (Deep Blue and Red),?made between 1940?and 1943,?featuring?contrasting?red?strings?hovering?over?a?striking?blue?interior.?

Alongside?sculptures,?the exhibition?features?a rich?selection?of?Hepworth＊s?drawings with colour.?During the first years of the war?Hepworth lacked the materials, studio?space?and time to produce much sculpture?but?her?drawings allowed her to continue to?explore and?develop her ideas. She recalled,?※In the late evenings, and during the night I did innumerable drawings＃exploring the particular tensions and relationships of form and colour which were to occupy me in sculpture during the later years of the war.§?These drawings, usually?entitled?※drawing for sculpture§?are?remarkable?for their?intricate?crystalline forms, punctuated with strong blues,?reds?and?greens.???

The exhibition extends into the 1950s and 1960s to reflect how colour continued to occupy Hepworth in new?and innovative?ways,?including?in her expressive paintings, and in her?work?with patinated?bronze?and?coloured?marble.??

The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition: Hepworth in?Colour?is curated by Dr Alexandra Gerstein, Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the Courtauld Gallery and Dr Stephen Feeke, independent writer and curator whose PhD from the 鎊飪TV厙桴 of Art focused on Barbara Hepworth＊s bronze sculptures.?

To coincide with the exhibition, a display of?rare?photographs, taken in the 1930s by Paul Laib (1932每1936),?capturing?Hepworth and Ben Nicholson?(1894每1982)?in their?shared?studio in Hampstead, London,?will be presented in?the Project Space.?These?are among the most evocative studio images?to?emerge?in Britain during the 20th century?and show the fascinating interrelation of their practices?at this time.??

The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition:?Hepworth in Colour?is accompanied by a new catalogue, edited by?Dr?Alexandra Gerstein,?Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts?at the Courtauld?Gallery?and?Dr?Stephen Feeke,?independent art historian?and Hepworth specialist,?with?contributions?by?Alexandra Gerstein,?Stephen Feeke,?David Batchelor, Eleanor Clayton,?Kirstie Dootson?and Kate Edmondson.?

The exhibition＊s Title Sponsor is Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP. The exhibition＊s Lead Supporter is the Huo Family Foundation, with Support from Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne.?

Courtauld Members?can enjoy the exhibition without the crowds at a preview on Thursday 11 June, 14:00 每 18:00,?and also?get free unlimited entry to all exhibitions, access to presale tickets, priority booking to selected events, advance notice of art history short courses, exclusive events, discounts and more.?Join at courtauld.ac.uk/members?

Late openings
Discover?The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition: Hepworth in Colour?after hours. The Gallery will open until 20:00 on Friday 12 June, 26 June, 31 July, and 4 September 2026.?

Relaxed openings
Join us for relaxed openings of?The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition: Hepworth in Colour?on?Wednesday 1 July and Wednesday 19 August, at 10:00 or 10:15.?Our relaxed exhibition openings include?additional?support and facilities from our friendly team.?

The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition:
Hepworth in Colour
12 June 每 6 September 2026
Denise Coates?Exhibition?Galleries, Floor 3?

/whats-on/exh-hepworth-in-colour/?

Hepworth and Nicholson: The Hampstead Studio Photographs
6 June 每 4 October 2026?

Project Space, Floor 2
/exh/hepworth-and-nicholson-the-hampstead-studio-photographs/??

Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN?
Opening hours: 10:00 每 18:00 (last entry 17:15).
Temporary Exhibition tickets (including entry to our Permanent Collection and displays)?from ?18.?Courtauld Members?and 18s?and?under?go?free. Other concessions available.?

Download Press Release

Hepworth in Colour Press Release June 2026

Notes to editors

About the Courtauld
The Courtauld works to advance how we see and understand the visual arts, as an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history and a major public gallery. Founded by collectors and philanthropists in 1932, the organisation has been at the forefront of the study of art ever since through advanced research and conservation practice, innovative teaching, the renowned?collection?and inspiring exhibitions of its gallery, and engaging and accessible activities,?education?and events.?

The Courtauld Gallery cares for one of the greatest art collections in the UK, presenting these works to the public at the Courtauld Gallery in central London, as well as through loans and partnerships. The Gallery is most famous for its iconic Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces 每 such as Van Gogh＊s?Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear?and Manet＊s?A Bar at the?Folies-Berge?re. It?showcases?these alongside an internationally renowned collection of works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the present day.

Academically, the 鎊飪TV厙桴 is the largest community of art historians and conservators in the UK, teaching and conducting research on subjects ranging from creativity in late Antiquity to contemporary digital art forms 每 with an increasingly global focus. An independent college of the University of London, the Courtauld offers a range of degree programmes from BA to PhD in the History of Art, curating, art and business and the conservation of easel and wall paintings. Its alumni are leaders and innovators in the arts,?culture?and business worlds, helping to shape the global agenda for the arts and creative industries.?

Founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art, the Courtauld works to increase understanding of the role of art throughout history, across all societies and geographies, and to champion its importance in the present day. This could be through exhibitions offering a chance to look closely at world-famous works; events bringing art history research to new audiences; accessible short courses; digital engagement, innovative school, family, and community programmes; or taking a formal qualification. The Courtauld＊s ambition is to transform access to art history education, ensuring as many people as possible can?benefit?from the tools it offers to better understand the visual world around us.??

The Courtauld is an exempt charity and relies on generous philanthropic support to achieve its mission of advancing the understanding of the visual arts of the past and present across the world through advanced research, innovative teaching, inspiring exhibitions,?programmes?and collections.??

The collection cared for by the Courtauld Gallery is owned by the Samuel Courtauld Trust.??

About Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP
Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP (JHAB) is an elite dispute resolution and advisory law firm based in London. Established by barristers Joe Hage and Graham Aaronson KC in 2013, the firm uniquely integrates the?expertise?of leading solicitors and barristers, as well as specialist accountants and data scientists, to provide comprehensive solutions to complex legal challenges. We have an international client base that ranges from ultra-high net worth individuals and trusts to publicly listed blue-chip companies, foreign government?entities?and the world＊s largest funds.?

About Huo Family Foundation
The Huo Family Foundation is a grant-giving foundation based in London. Its mission is to support education,?communities?and the pursuit of knowledge. Its current areas of focus are education; the arts; and science. Through its donations, the Foundation hopes to improve the prospects of individuals, and to support the work of organisations?seeking?to ensure a safe and successful future for all society.?The Foundation aims to make art more accessible to all through its support for galleries,?museums?and centres for the performing arts. For more information,??

The post The Courtauld Gallery unveils first exhibition devoted to Barbara Hepworth’s work with colour appeared first on Courtauld.

]]> Ella Walker to undertake next Courtauld Commission /ella-walker-to-undertake-next-courtauld-commission/ Wed, 20 May 2026 14:25:23 +0000 /?page_id=170138 The post Ella Walker to undertake next Courtauld Commission appeared first on Courtauld.

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Artist Ella Walker (b.1993, Manchester, UK) will create two new site-specific commissions for the Courtauld Gallery. Opening 3 September 2026, the new artworks will be presented in The John Browne Entrance Hall and the Ticketing Hall of the Courtauld Gallery and will be free to visit.

This is the second Courtauld Commission, a series of annual commissions by contemporary artists for the Courtauld Gallery, which launched in 2025 with new works by artist Rachel Jones.

Ella Walker creates monumental canvases that act like dream-like stages. They are dominated by female figures whose gestures and interactions are both familiar and confounding, eschewing expected behaviour and transcending fixed roles.

The new artworks continue the artist＊s dialogue with traditional techniques and subjects from the Renaissance period, richly represented at the Courtauld Gallery. Walker is particularly drawn to the Blavatnik Fine Rooms on the second floor of the Courtauld, including The Trinity with Saints Mary Magdalen and John the Baptist altarpiece (around 1491-94) by Sandro Botticelli (around 1445-1510).

Ella Walker said: ※The Courtauld Commission is an opportunity to think deeply about the surface of my paintings, the method of applying pigment to an absorbent ground, a ground that is rich with marble and chalk, and is very absorbent and textured. I hope the colours will glow, have transparency and movement within the collection of particles.§

Walker lives and works in London. She studied Fine Art at The Glasgow School of Art and The Royal Drawing School. Recent solo exhibitions include Idol?trie, Le Ch?teau 每 Centre for Contemporary Art and Heritage of Aubenas, France (2025); The Romance of the Rose, Pilar Corrias, London (2024); After great pain, a formal feeling comes, Casey Kaplan, New York (2024); and Chorus, Kestner Gesellschaft, Hanover, Germany (2023).

This is the second in a series of annual commissions by contemporary artists that will be displayed in The John Browne Entrance Hall and Ticketing Hall at the Courtauld Gallery.?Since the transformation of its Gallery in 2021, the Courtauld?has significantly expanded its offering of?contemporary art, including major exhibitions by Peter Doig and Claudette Johnson, and a major commission by Cecily Brown. The first European solo exhibition of acclaimed New York painter Salman Toor will open on 2 October 2026. In January, the Courtauld also announced it will be creating two new galleries dedicated to contemporary art, set to open in 2029 as part of the development of its new world-class campus at Somerset House

Ella Walker: Courtauld Commission 2026
Opening 3 September 2026
The John Browne Entrance Hall and Ticketing Hall
Free display

Download the press release

Ella Walker Courtauld Commission 2026 Press Release

Somerset House, Strand
London WC2R 0RN
Opening hours: 10.00 每 18.00 (last entry 17.15)
Weekday tickets from ?10; Weekend tickets from ?12
Ella Walker: Courtauld Commission 2026 ?is free to visit
Members, students and Under-18s go free. Other concessions available

MEDIA CONTACTS

Courtauld
www.courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/press
media@courtauld.ac.uk

Bolton & Quinn
Erica Bolton | erica@boltonquinn.com | +44 (0)20 7221 5000
Daisy Taylor I susie@boltonquinn.com | +44 (0)20 7221 5000

SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook @TheCourtauld
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NOTES TO EDITORS

Courtauld

The Courtauld works to advance how we see and understand the visual arts, as an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history and a major public gallery. Founded by collectors and philanthropists in 1932, the organisation has been at the forefront of the study of art ever since through advanced research and conservation practice, innovative teaching, the renowned collection and inspiring exhibitions of its gallery, and engaging and accessible activities, education and events.

The Courtauld Gallery cares for one of the greatest art collections in the UK, presenting these works to the public at the Courtauld Gallery in central London, as well as through loans and partnerships. The Gallery is most famous for its iconic Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces 每 such as Van Gogh＊s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Manet＊s A Bar at the Folies-Berg豕re. It showcases these alongside an internationally renowned collection of works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the present day.

Academically, the 鎊飪TV厙桴 is the largest community of art historians and conservators in the UK, teaching and conducting research on subjects ranging from creativity in late Antiquity to contemporary digital art forms 每 with an increasingly global focus. An independent college of the University of London, the Courtauld offers a range of degree programmes from BA to PhD in the History of Art, curating, art and business and the conservation of easel and wall paintings. Its alumni are leaders and innovators in the arts, culture and business worlds, helping to shape the global agenda for the arts and creative industries.

Founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art, the Courtauld works to increase understanding of the role of art throughout history, across all societies and geographies, and to champion its importance in the present day. This could be through exhibitions offering a chance to look closely at world-famous works; events bringing art history research to new audiences; accessible short courses; digital engagement, innovative school, family, and community programmes; or taking a formal qualification. The Courtauld＊s ambition is to transform access to art history education, ensuring as many people as possible can benefit from the tools it offers to better understand the visual world around us.

The Courtauld is an exempt charity and relies on generous philanthropic support to achieve its mission of advancing the understanding of the visual arts of the past and present across the world through advanced research, innovative teaching, inspiring exhibitions, programmes and collections.

The collection cared for by the Courtauld Gallery is owned by the Samuel Courtauld Trust.

The post Ella Walker to undertake next Courtauld Commission appeared first on Courtauld.

]]> Ecologies of Attention: Sensing at the Edge /whats-on/ecologies-of-attention/ Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:58:39 +0000 /?post_type=events&p=168778 Join us for the 2026 Asymmetry International Symposium, offering a dynamic programme of papers, performances, screenings, and discussions exploring how art and visual culture might shift our understanding of attention from a logic of capture towards a practice of relation. With a particular attentiveness to voices shaped across and in relation to the Asia Pacific, the symposium considers how perception is formed through social, technical, and sensorial environments, and how art might open other ways of noticing and sensing.?

The post Ecologies of Attention: Sensing at the Edge appeared first on Courtauld.

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How do we attend to the world, and how are the terms of that attention already shaped for us? Bringing together artists, curators, film theorists, and art historians,?Ecologies of Attention: Sensing at the Edge?reflects on attention as both a cognitive faculty or a scarce resource, and an aesthetic, embodied, and ecological condition. With a particular attentiveness to voices shaped across and in relation to the Asia Pacific, the symposium considers how perception is formed through social, technical, and sensorial environments, and how art might open other ways of noticing and sensing.

If attention is so often described in the language of crisis 每 fragmented, captured, exhausted 每 this programme lingers with its textures and atmospheres. It asks what becomes possible when we move away from an understanding of attention governed by extraction, productivity, and competition, toward what Yves Citton has called an ＆ecology of attention＊. A way of thinking that situates perception as diffused and inseparable from the worlds that compose it.

This symposium gathers practices that remain close to the unstable edges of perception 每 between visibility and opacity, signal and sensation, intuition and analysis, the human and the more-than-human. It invites forms of aesthetic practice that dwell within mediation while also straining against its limits. These practices register ecological entanglement, embodied knowledge, cosmological thought, and the shifting conditions through which images, environments, and narratives come to be felt.

What kinds of receptivity might be cultivated within a culture of distraction? What forms of attunement and sensory relation emerge when perception is approached as exposure and as something shaped with and by others? How might moving image, performance, and curatorial practice reorient the sensible, making space for quieter forms of encounter and for ways of sensing that exceed the immediately knowable?

Across presentations, discussions, performance, and screenings,?Ecologies of Attention?invites attention to be thought otherwise: shifting away from a mode of capture towards a practice of relation.

Speakers and artists list includes: Dr Kiki Tianqi Yu, Chantel Foo, Yin Aiwen, Serafina Min, Jiayi?Chen (remote), Yin-Ju Chen (remote), Stella Zhong, Solveig Qu Suess, and Dr Royce Ng (of Zheng Mahler).

Convened by Dr Wenny Teo, Senior Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Asian Art at the 鎊飪TV厙桴; Mich豕le Ruo Yi Landolt, Director at Asymmetry; Dr Yayu Zheng, Asymmetry Postdoctoral Fellow at the 鎊飪TV厙桴; and Jessica Kwok, Head of Programmes and Curatorial at Asymmetry.

With contributions from:

Kiki Tianqi Yu

Kiki Tianqi Yu is a writer, filmmaker, and curator. She is Reader in Cinematic Art in the Department of Film Studies at Queen Mary University of London, where she set up the Research Hub for Cinema, Asian Philosophies and Visual Ecologies (CAVe). Her current project, ＆Daoism, Cinema and Wellbeing: Meditative Cinema＊, received an AHRC Catalyst Award. Her books include, as the author,?＆My＊ Self on Camera: First Person Documentary Practice in an Individualising China?(Edinburgh University Press, 2019); as the co-editor,?China＊s iGeneration: Cinema and Moving Image Culture for the 21st Century?(Bloomsbury, 2014), the Special Issue of Studies in Documentary Film on East Asian Women＊s personal cinema (14:1 2020),?Essay Film and Narrative Techniques?(Intellect, 2025), and the forthcoming Sinophone Women＊s Cinema and Women Filmmakers (Edinburgh University Press, 2027). Kiki＊s award-winning films, including?Memory of Home?(2009),?China＊s Van Goghs?(2016), and?The Two Lives of Li Ermao?(2019), have been widely screened at international film festivals and art institutions. Her curatorial practices include?Spirit of Mountains and Water: Cosmological thinking is Gao Shiqiang＊s moving image art, and Dancing with Water: Women＊s Cinema from Contemporary China film season.

Chantel Foo

Chantel Foo (they/she) is a Chinese Singaporean artist based in London. Chantel＊s practice is anchored in performance, internet aesthetics, writing, and livestreams. Her work and movement style exist at the sticky tension lines where a body＊s histories and undoing gather, to come apart. She seeks to decolonise their dance/body through negotiating docility and rebellion, reimagining rage and spite as strategies of defiance against oppressive codes and doctrines. Nodes of thought include: slippages, residual presences, selfhood, and glitch spaces. They also founded and run a movement studio, Studio Lotusroot, which is a space for embodied encounters and somatic healing through movement. Chantel recently concluded a research residency in Amant, New York (Spring 2025), looking at non-traditional Chinese dance phenomena and aesthetics, including Chinese Square Dances (嫘部敃 gu芍ngch芍ngw迅) and the memetics of ＆awkward dance＊ (痸敃 g角w迅) on social media, as choreo-political reference points for new imaginations of a queer Chinese Dance.

Yin Aiwen

Yin Aiwen is an artist, designer, researcher, and occasional institutional strategist based in London and Rotterdam. Departing from the idea that ＆the technological is institutional, the institutional is technological＊, Aiwen reconsiders and reimagines the socio-economic, cultural, emotional, and bodily conditions, etc. by designing the new techno-institutional around care ethics. Her recent major projects include ReUnion Network, Liquid Dependencies (with Yiren Zhao and Zoe Zhao), and Alchemy of Commons (with Yiren Zhao). Aiwen＊s writings have appeared on LEAP, e-flux and so-far, among others.

Yin Aiwen is currently the 2024 Asymmetry PhD Scholar in ＆Advanced Practices＊ at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Serafina Min

Serafina Sungwon Min (b. 1994) is a South Korean artist and educator based in the UK. Her multidisciplinary practice 每 painting, sculpture, performance, and film 每 weaves narratives drawn from linguistic, historical, and traditional research. As a graduate of Chelsea College of Arts, Min＊s recent work explores pedagogy as an artistic medium, investigating how education itself can be a form of creative expression. She teaches art to partially sighted and blind students, integrating accessibility and sensory engagement into her practice. Her work has been exhibited internationally, most recently for Beyond the Visual at the Henry Moore Institute.

Jiayi Chen

Yin-Ju Chen?is an artist who explores social power and history through cosmological systems, including astrology, sacred geometry, and alchemy. Her work examines nationalism, state violence, and collective consciousness, recently expanding into shamanism, Buddhism, and metaphysical potentialities. Based in Taipei, Chen has exhibited globally at Centre Pompidou-Metz and the biennials of Taipei, Shanghai, Gwangju, Liverpool, and Sydney. She has participated in film festivals like the Berlinale and Rotterdam. A former resident at the Rijksakademie and KADIST San Francisco, Chen continues to probe the material effects of spiritual practices and the boundaries of human consciousness.

Yin-Ju Chen

Yin-Ju Chen?is an artist who explores social power and history through cosmological systems, including astrology, sacred geometry, and alchemy. Her work examines nationalism, state violence, and collective consciousness, recently expanding into shamanism, Buddhism, and metaphysical potentialities. Based in Taipei, Chen has exhibited globally at Centre Pompidou-Metz and the biennials of Taipei, Shanghai, Gwangju, Liverpool, and Sydney. She has participated in film festivals like the Berlinale and Rotterdam. A former resident at the Rijksakademie and KADIST San Francisco, Chen continues to probe the material effects of spiritual practices and the boundaries of human consciousness.

Stella Zhong

Stella Zhong?(b. 1993, Shenzhen, China) is an artist based in New York. Recent solo exhibitions include Trautwein Herleth, Berlin; ROH, Jakarta; Antenna Space, Shanghai; The Intermission, Piraeus; Chapter NY, New York; Fanta-MLN, Milan. Zhong has been included in group exhibitions at Para Site, Hong Kong; The Power Station, Dallas; Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul; SculptureCenter, New York, and more. She holds a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from Yale University.

Solveig Qu Suess

Solveig Qu Suess?is an artist-filmmaker working across documentary cinema, installation, and writing. Her work draws on visual culture and spatial politics to examine how optical and media infrastructures shape experiences of time, space, and memory. Moving between global systems and personal archives, she traces emotional and technological entanglements across postcolonial and diasporic contexts. Her work has been presented internationally at institutions and festivals including the upcoming Sharjah Biennale, the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Bangkok Kunsthalle, Guangzhou Image Triennial, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Onassis Stegi, ZKM Karlsruhe, and G?teborg Biennial, and Kunsthall Trondheim, among others. She co-authored Geocinema, concerned with the understanding and sensing of the earth, tracing vastly distributed processes of image and meaning making. She has received fellowships from the Swiss National Science Foundation, Digital Earth, Gwaertler Foundation and held residencies at NYU Shanghai, Fondazione Prada, Li Xianting Film Fund, and Tabakalera. She is currently a PhD candidate in Urban Studies at the University of Basel and a visiting scholar at the Center for Global Asia, NYU Shanghai.

Royce Ng

Royce Ng is an artist who is one half of the Hong Kong-based collaborative duo Zheng Mahler with anthrozoologist Daisy Bisenieks. Their works examine the relational networks between nature and technology, along with the more-than-human geographies and the environmental architectures they produce. As a solo artist and in the collective Zheng Mahler, he has held solo exhibitions at the Johann Jacobs Museum, Zurich (2014; 2016) and PHD Group, Hong Kong (2023-2026) and participated in group exhibitions in the Thailand Biennale (2025), Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2024) and the Shanghai Biennale XIII (2021). He completed his PhD at the School of Creative Media at the City University of Hong Kong and currently lives on Lantau Island with his family and three cats.

Schedule for the day:

Welcome
9.30每9.45硃鳥
Introduction by Mich豕le Ruo Yi Landolt
Introduction by Dr Yayu Zheng

Keynote Lecture 1:?From Attention to Attunement: Breath and Energetic Relationality in Cinematic World-making
9.45每10.45硃鳥
Dr Kiki Tianqi Yu

Break
10.45每11.00硃鳥

Panel A:?Making Time: Infrastructures of Care and the Commons
11.00硃鳥每12.45梯鳥
Chair: Dr Wenny Teo (The 鎊飪TV厙桴 of Art)
Chantel Foo and Yin Aiwen

Performance:?To Pass Away (Understanding Time Through Care and Gesture)
1.00每1.30梯鳥
Serafina Min

Lunch break
1.30每2.00梯鳥

Screening Capsule:?From Microlens to Cosmos
2.00每2.30梯鳥
Yin-Ju Chen:?Extrastellar Evaluations Iii : Entropy : 25800,?2018, 17 min
Jiayi Chen:?See Through the Hollowed Blue Hellebore,?2026, 18 mins

Panel B:?Consensus and Sensus: Distributing Perception, Sensing Otherwise
2.30每4.15梯鳥
Chair: Mich豕le Ruo Yi Landolt (Asymmetry)
Solveig Qu Suess and Stella Zhong

Break
4.15每4.30梯鳥

Keynote Lecture 2:?Vision, Visualisation, Virtualisation: A Few Technological Approaches to Human-Animal-God Transformation
4.30每5.30梯鳥
Dr Royce Ng (of Zheng Mahler)

Closing Remarks
5.30每5:45梯鳥

Wine Reception
till 7.00pm

What is it like to be a (virtual) bat by Zheng Mahler, Mixed media, text, thermal video, ultrasonic recordings, drone video, photogrammetry, virtual reality system, 2022. (Still) Courtesy the artists.

This symposium is generously supported by

The post Ecologies of Attention: Sensing at the Edge appeared first on Courtauld.

]]> 鎊飪TV厙桴 named best for Art History in latest QS Global rankings /courtauld-institute-named-best-for-art-history-in-qs-global-rankings/ Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:43:46 +0000 /?page_id=168160 The post 鎊飪TV厙桴 named best for Art History in latest QS Global rankings appeared first on Courtauld.

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The 鎊飪TV厙桴?is the?world＊s?top institution?for the study of?History of Art, according to the?QS World University Rankings 2026?published today, Wednesday 25 March 2026.??

The Courtauld secured the number one spot out of?fifty?prestigious?institutions worldwide.?This outstanding achievement?reflects?the Courtauld＊s?long-standing?position as a leading global centre for the visual arts, with an unwavering commitment to delivering academic excellence?and a?cutting-edge?curriculum.??

The Courtauld, founded in 1932 by philanthropist and collector Samuel Courtauld,?is an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history,?conservation?and curation, and is home to one of the world＊s greatest art collections.??

The QS World University Rankings serve as a highly regarded source of comparative data on university performance, evaluating institutions on five indicators: academic and employer reputation, research citations per paper, H-index, and international research network.

The?number one?world?ranking follows?the announcement of?the Courtauld＊s plan to create a new?state-of-the-art?campus at Somerset House in London, set to open in 2029. This major milestone in the Courtauld＊s history will see a?transformation and expansion of its historic Grade I listed building?in the North Wing of Somerset House, including?flexible, modern teaching spaces, a new lecture theatre, and a spectacular library within Somerset House＊s historic subterranean vaults.?The new campus will open directly onto the Strand, connecting the Courtauld to an exciting new cultural and intellectual quarter in the heart of the city, alongside its partner King＊s College London.?

The development comes at a time when the Courtauld is expanding into new areas of teaching and research, increasing its focus on global geographies such as the Americas, the African?diaspora?and the arts of Asia. The Courtauld has also recently launched a series of new MA programmes, including an MA?Art?Business and?MA?Curating, as it?seeks?to meet the evolving needs of students and the professional art world.??

The Courtauld?also?announced a commitment to work with national education and philanthropic partners to broaden access to art history for secondary school children in the UK in the lead-up to the opening of the new campus,?enriching?the Courtauld＊s existing work in broadening access to its collection and teaching for young people.?

The new campus project is made possible through the recent visionary gift from the Reuben Foundation and the generous long-standing support of the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Additional transformational support is provided by the Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation, the Clore Duffield Foundation, the Garfield Weston Foundation, Oak Foundation, The Julia Rausing Trust, Rothschild Foundation, Georgia and David Winter and the Wolfson Foundation. The Courtauld is most grateful to these foundational supporters, alongside others who have already committed to the redevelopment of our home at Somerset House.

Professor?Mark Hallett, M?rit Rausing Director of?the Courtauld,?said:?※This ranking by QS is a testament to the dedication, excellence,?and enthusiasm of our faculty, staff?and students and the extraordinary impact?the Courtauld has on the wider arts and culture sector. As?the Courtauld approaches its centenary, we are continuing to push the boundaries of research and teaching and?are deeply committed to?expanding?access to art history across the?UK?and beyond, building on Samuel Courtauld＊s founding mission of ＆art for all＊§.??

Find out more about the?.?

Download the press release

QS 2026 Rankings Press Release final

Media Contacts:

Bolton & Quinn?
erica@boltonquinn.com
0207 221 5000
07711 698 186?

Courtauld?
/about-us/press-office/
media@courtauld.ac.uk???

Notes to Editors:??

Courtauld?
The Courtauld works to advance how we see and understand the visual arts, as an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history and a major public gallery. Founded by collectors and philanthropists in 1932, the organisation has been at the forefront of the study of art ever since through advanced research and conservation practice, innovative teaching, the renowned collection and inspiring exhibitions of its gallery, and engaging and accessible activities, education and events.?

The Courtauld Gallery cares for one of the greatest art collections in the UK, presenting these works to the public at the Courtauld Gallery in central London, as well as through loans and partnerships. The Gallery is most famous for its iconic Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces 每 such as Van Gogh＊s?Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear?and Manet＊s?A Bar at the?Folies-Berge?re. It showcases these alongside an internationally renowned collection of works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the present day.?

Academically, the 鎊飪TV厙桴 is the largest community of art historians and conservators in the UK, teaching and conducting research on subjects ranging from creativity in late Antiquity to contemporary digital art forms 每 with an increasingly global focus. An independent college of the University of London, the Courtauld offers a range of degree programmes from BA to PhD in the History of Art, curating, art and business and the conservation of easel and wall paintings. Its alumni are leaders and innovators in the arts, culture and business worlds, helping to shape the global agenda for the arts and creative industries.?

Founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art, the Courtauld works to increase understanding of the role of art throughout history, across all societies and geographies, and to champion its importance in the present day. This could be through exhibitions offering a chance to look closely at world-famous works; events bringing art history research to new audiences; accessible short courses; digital engagement, innovative school, family, and community programmes; or taking a formal qualification. The Courtauld＊s ambition is to transform access to art history education, ensuring as many people as possible can benefit from the tools it offers to better understand the visual world around us.?

The Courtauld is an exempt charity and relies on generous philanthropic support to achieve its mission of advancing the understanding of the visual arts of the past and present across the world through advanced research, innovative teaching, inspiring exhibitions, programmes and collections.?

The collection cared for by the Courtauld Gallery is owned by the Samuel Courtauld Trust.??

The post 鎊飪TV厙桴 named best for Art History in latest QS Global rankings appeared first on Courtauld.

]]> The Courtauld Gallery presents first Barbara Hepworth exhibition devoted to her work with colour /about-us/press-office/press-releases/the-courtauld-gallery-presents-first-barbara-hepworth-exhibition-devoted-to-her-work-with-colour/ Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:43:00 +0000 /?page_id=167847 The post The Courtauld Gallery presents first Barbara Hepworth exhibition devoted to her work with colour appeared first on Courtauld.

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Press images:

The Courtauld Gallery will present the first exhibition devoted to Barbara Hepworth＊s lifelong fascination with colour, shedding light on an unexpected and unexplored aspect of the work of one of the most celebrated British artists of the 20th century.

Barbara Hepworth (1903 每 1975) is best known for her abstract sculptures inspired by nature and the rugged seaside landscapes of Cornwall where she lived and worked from 1939. Throughout her life she emphasised the primacy of direct carving and adhered to the ethos of ＆truth to materials＊. Discussing her innovative use of colour with her son-in-law, the art historian Sir Alan Bowness, she said: ※In a way my colour has been accepted but never understood.§

Bringing together some 20 sculptures and 30 drawings and paintings, The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition: Hepworth in Colour will be the first exhibition to focus on this important but often overlooked aspect of her work.

Hepworth＊s early interest in colour dates to the mid-1930s, when she and her future husband, Ben Nicholson, formed part of the European avant-garde. When in 1939, days before the outbreak of the Second World War, she left London for Cornwall with her three young children, Hepworth took with her a single sculpture 每 her first study for a sculpture with colour. Over the coming years, the landscape of Cornwall inspired her to develop this initial experiment, taking her work in new directions and establishing a lifelong fascination with colour.

At the heart of the exhibition will be the remarkable group of painted sculptures which Hepworth made between 1940 and 1948. She later recalled how, ※I used colour and strings in many of the carvings of this time. The colour in the concavities plunged me into the depths of water, caves or shallows＃§. These early works include the boldly painted stone carvings Eidos (1947-8) from the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia and Eos (1946) from a private collection in Hong Kong. They are exhibited together in the UK for the first time since 1954.

A major highlight of the exhibition will be the painted wood carving, Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form), Pale Blue and Red (1943), which was acquired for the nation by The Hepworth Wakefield in 2025 following the successful national fundraising campaign in collaboration with Art Fund to raise ?3.8 million. Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form), Pale Blue and Red marked a breakthrough moment in Hepworth＊s career, combining strings and colour and, for the first time, the beautiful pale blue associated with the Cornish skies and coast. In private hands since it was created, and rarely exhibited, this will be the first time the sculpture is displayed in London since it was acquired. For Hepworth the strings in her early sculptures ＆were the tension I felt between myself and the sea, the wind or the hill’.

Other seminal painted stringed sculptures in the exhibition include Wave, 1943-44, from the National Galleries of Scotland and Pelagos (＆sea＊ in Greek), 1946 from Tate, which was inspired by the bay in St Ives in Cornwall. The exhibition also unites for the first time from private and public collections the six progressively larger versions of the stringed Sculpture with Colour (Deep Blue and Red).

Alongside sculptures, the exhibition features a rich selection of Hepworth＊s drawings with colour. Hepworth lacked the materials, studio space and time to produce much sculpture during the first years of the war but her drawings allowed her to continue to explore and develop her ideas. She recalled, ＆In the late evenings, and during the night I did innumerable drawings＃exploring the particular tensions and relationships of form and colour which were to occupy me in sculpture during the later years of the war.＊ These drawings, usually entitled ＆drawing for sculpture＊ are striking for their intricate crystalline forms, punctuated with strong blues, greens, reds and yellows.

The exhibition extends into the 1950s and 1960s to reflect how colour continued to occupy Hepworth in new ways, including in her expressive paintings of the mid and late 1950s, and in her work with patinated bronze and painted marbles.

To coincide with the exhibition, a display of photographs of Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson＊s shared London studio at No. 7 the Mall Studios in Hampstead will be presented in the Project Space. Taken between 1932 and 1936 by Paul Laib (1869每1958), these are among the most evocative studio images to emerge in Britain during the 20th century and show the fascinating interrelation of their practices at this time.

The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition: Hepworth in Colour is accompanied by a new catalogue, edited by Dr Alexandra Gerstein, Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the Courtauld and Stephen Feeke, with essays by Alexandra Gerstein, Stephen Feeke, David Batchelor, Eleanor Clayton and Kirstie Dootson.

The exhibition＊s Title Sponsor is Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP. The exhibition＊s Lead Supporter is the Huo Family Foundation, with Support from Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne.

The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition:
Hepworth in Colour
12 June 每 6 September 2026
Denise Coates Exhibition Galleries, Floor 3
/whats-on/exh-hepworth-in-colour/

Hepworth and Nicholson: The Hampstead Studio Photographs
6 June 每 4 October 2026
Project Space, Floor 2
/exh/hepworth-and-nicholson-the-hampstead-studio-photographs/

Download Press Release

Hepworth in Colour Press Release March 2026

MEDIA CONTACTS

Courtauld

media@courtauld.ac.uk

Bolton & Quinn
Erica Bolton |?erica@boltonquinn.com?| +44 (0)20 7221 5000
Daisy Taylor |?daisy@boltonquinn.com | +44 (0)20 7221 5000

SOCIAL MEDIA – COURTAULD?

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NOTES TO EDITORS?

About the Courtauld
The Courtauld works to advance how we see and understand the visual arts, as an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history and a major public gallery. Founded by collectors and philanthropists in 1932, the organisation has been at the forefront of the study of art ever since through advanced research and conservation practice, innovative teaching, the renowned collection and inspiring exhibitions of its gallery, and engaging and accessible activities, education and events.

The Courtauld Gallery cares for one of the greatest art collections in the UK, presenting these works to the public at the Courtauld Gallery in central London, as well as through loans and partnerships. The Gallery is most famous for its iconic Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces 每 such as Van Gogh＊s?Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear?and Manet＊s?A Bar at the Folies-Berge?re. It showcases these alongside an internationally renowned collection of works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the present day.

Academically, the 鎊飪TV厙桴 is the largest community of art historians and conservators in the UK, teaching and conducting research on subjects ranging from creativity in late Antiquity to contemporary digital art forms 每 with an increasingly global focus. An independent college of the University of London, the Courtauld offers a range of degree programmes from BA to PhD in the History of Art, curating, art and business and the conservation of easel and wall paintings. Its alumni are leaders and innovators in the arts,?culture?and business worlds, helping to shape the global agenda for the arts and creative industries.

Founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art, the Courtauld works to increase understanding of the role of art throughout history, across all societies and geographies, and to champion its importance in the present day. This could be through exhibitions offering a chance to look closely at world-famous works; events bringing art history research to new audiences; accessible short courses; digital engagement, innovative school, family, and community programmes; or taking a formal qualification. The Courtauld＊s ambition is to transform access to art history education, ensuring as many people as possible can benefit from the tools it offers to better understand the visual world around us.?

The Courtauld is an exempt charity and relies on generous philanthropic support to achieve its mission of advancing the understanding of the visual arts of the past and present across the world through advanced research, innovative teaching, inspiring exhibitions, programmes and collections.

The collection cared for by the Courtauld Gallery is owned by the Samuel Courtauld Trust.

About Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP
Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP (JHAB) is an elite dispute resolution and advisory law firm based in London. Established by barristers Joe Hage and Graham Aaronson KC in 2013, the firm uniquely integrates the expertise of leading solicitors and barristers, as well as specialist accountants and data scientists, to provide comprehensive solutions to complex legal challenges. We have an international client base that ranges from ultra-high net worth individuals and trusts to publicly listed blue-chip companies, foreign government entities and the world＊s largest funds.

About Huo Family Foundation
The Huo Family Foundation is a grant-giving foundation based in London. Its mission is to support education, communities and the pursuit of knowledge. Its current areas of focus are education; the arts; and science. Through its donations, the Foundation hopes to improve the prospects of individuals, and to support the work of organisations seeking to ensure a safe and successful future for all society. The Foundation aims to make art more accessible to all through its support for galleries, museums and centres for the performing arts. For more information,

 

The post The Courtauld Gallery presents first Barbara Hepworth exhibition devoted to her work with colour appeared first on Courtauld.

]]> The Courtauld Summer School Essay Competition /short-courses-2026/students-voices-students-work/the-courtauld-summer-school-essay-competition/ Fri, 13 Feb 2026 15:54:41 +0000 /?page_id=166555 The post The Courtauld Summer School Essay Competition appeared first on Courtauld.

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In the summer of 2025, we decided to host an essay competition open to all Summer School students, and the question we put to our students was this one:

Is studying art history like Nero fiddling while Rome Burns? In other words: What Impact does the Study of Art History have on the World Today?

Students responded with enthusiasm, and we were able to select two runners-up and a final winner, whose entry you can read below.

We hope to run the essay competition once more in Summer School 2026.

Summer School Student Emily Doswell

Summer School Essay Competition 2025 Winner: Emily Doswell

Is studying art history like Nero fiddling while Rome Burns? In other words: What Impact does the Study of Art History have on the World Today?

On the 24th February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. In October the following year, Hamas-led militant groups launched an attack on Israel, in which just under 1200 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, triggering the Hamas-Israeli war. In September 2024, when famines were announced in Gaza and the Sudan, I began my A level study into History of Art. In the light of such world suffering, there is validity in questioning the relevance of such a course. However, it is precisely in such a context that the importance of Art and the study of Art History becomes more precious. The official website of Ukraine recognises, amid the struggle that Art generated during the conflict, conveys an important message and acts as a powerful tool to help Ukrainians share their emotions and personal narrative. A series of illustrations on the site, by a 15-year-old Ukrainian girl, depicts her family; a mother, a wife, a daughter, dealing with the loss of their son, husband and father; a Ukrainian soldier, a casualty in the war. His jacket, unworn, over the back of a chair depicts for future generations the human face of the suffering. It is a conduit to understand her loss. Over the centuries, Art has recorded human conflict and suffering. From the fractured chaos of Guernica to the impasto of Van Gogh, works that do not soothe; but act to expose frightful struggle; shared tragedy in art, acting as reminder to avoid repetition. Even within everyday education however, this study is increasingly important. As ChatGPT degrees and AI-generated images enter public use, the need for original thought fades. It＊s not just the death of art that is at risk, it＊s the very act of thinking. Where any book can be summarised and any equation solved, art remains the only thing in resistance to passive consumption. Art History teaches us to examine the visual, not just look. I am taught to confront, analyse and absorb pieces in ways that exhaust me. This act is something I am unable to cheat at. Art History is a window into power, resistance, pain, and most often, ecstatic beauty. Studying art is equivalent to empathising, an act where you look at the world through another＊s eyes and feel as they would. Even our machines analyze the past to shape their algorithms and responses, therefore it＊s naive to think we can face the future without learning from those who came before us. To confront human experience and live, we must hold on to what is innately human, and since that quality is increasingly rare today, we must turn to art.

The post The Courtauld Summer School Essay Competition appeared first on Courtauld.

]]> First ever exhibition devoted to Georges Seurat’s seascapes opens at the Courtauld Gallery /news-blogs/2026/first-ever-exhibition-devoted-to-the-seascapes-of-georges-seurat-opens-at-the-courtauld-gallery/ Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:10:29 +0000 /?p=166139 The post First ever exhibition devoted to Georges Seurat’s seascapes opens at the Courtauld Gallery appeared first on Courtauld.

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The Courtauld Gallery presents the first-ever exhibition devoted to the seascapes of French painter Georges Seurat (1859-1891) from 13 February to 17 May 2026.

The first UK exhibition devoted to Seurat in almost 30 years,?The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea?brings together the largest group of these works ever assembled, 26 in total, offering a detailed look at a significant part of Seurat’s production.

Seurat is best known for developing a radical new technique of painting with dots of pure colour, which gave birth to Neo-Impressionism. This exhibition charts the evolution of Seurat’s highly original and distinctive style through the recurring motif of the sea, reuniting for the first time a major group of 26 works 〞 paintings, oil?sketches and drawings?〞 created over five summer trips to the northern coast of France between 1885 and 1890. A particular highlight is the presentation of the complete series of paintings made in Port-en-Bessin in 1888 and Gravelines in 1890.

Due to his early death at the age of 31, Seurat has a very small body of works and exhibitions devoted to him are rare. Over the course of his short career, he produced more views of the Channel coast than any other type of picture. Working along the coast, in Grandcamp, Honfleur, Port-en-Bessin, Le Crotoy, and Gravelines, Seurat captured views out to sea as well as of harbours and ports. They show a different side to an artist better known for paintings of leisure in Paris and its suburbs. In contrast, these quiet and contemplative seascapes are an exploration of light in open spaces often devoid of people. They represented for Seurat a return to nature that enabled him to develop his technique. He sought, in his words:

A painting of Seascape at Port-en-Bessin, Normandy, a green cliff overlooking the blue sea with clouds in the sky
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), Seascape at Port-en-Bessin, Normandy, 1888, oil on canvas. Gift of the W. Averell Harriman Foundation in memory of Marie N. Harriman, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), Seascape at Port-en-Bessin, Normandy, 1888, oil on canvas. Gift of the W. Averell Harriman Foundation in memory of Marie N. Harriman, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Pointillist view of the Channel at Gravelines, showing the Petit-Fort Philippe shoreline with sandy banks, calm water, and distant structures, bathed in soft light and rendered in small, evenly spaced dots of blue, green, and warm earth tones.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), The Channel at Gravelines, Petit-Fort Philippe, 1890, oil on canvas, Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Mrs. James W. Fesler in memory of Daniel W. and Elizabeth C. Marmon, 45.195. Image courtesy of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), The Channel at Gravelines, Petit-Fort Philippe, 1890, oil on canvas, Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Mrs. James W. Fesler in memory of Daniel W. and Elizabeth C. Marmon, 45.195. Image courtesy of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
Pointillist seascape showing the harbor at Gravelines at evening, with calm water, breakwaters, and thin ship masts silhouetted against a softly glowing sunset sky, rendered in small, luminous dots of colour.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), The Channel at Gravelines, Evening, 1890, oil on canvas, The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William A. M. Burden, 1963, Digital image, The Museum of Modern Art, New York/Scala, Florence.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), The Channel at Gravelines, Evening, 1890, oil on canvas, The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William A. M. Burden, 1963, Digital image, The Museum of Modern Art, New York/Scala, Florence.
Pointillist coastal scene of Port-en-Bessin at low tide, with fishing boats resting in a quiet outer harbor, exposed shoreline and docks in the foreground, and calm sea and sky built from small, precise dots of muted blues, greens, and earth tones.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), Port-en-Bessin, Outer Harbour Low Tide, 1888, oil on canvas, Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase. Image: Saint Louis Art Museum
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), Port-en-Bessin, Outer Harbour Low Tide, 1888, oil on canvas, Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase. Image: Saint Louis Art Museum
Pointillist harbor scene at Port-en-Bessin, with steep cliffs framing a narrow inlet, small fishing boats moored on calm water, and figures and buildings along the shore, all constructed from dense dots of blue, green, and ochre.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), Port-en-Bessin, 1888, oil on canvas, lent by the Minneapolis Institute of Art, The William Hood Dunwoody Fund. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Art
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), Port-en-Bessin, 1888, oil on canvas, lent by the Minneapolis Institute of Art, The William Hood Dunwoody Fund. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Art
Pointillist beach scene at Bas Butin in Honfleur, with gently sloping sand, small figures along the shoreline, calm sea, and a pale sky, rendered in delicate dots of blues, creams, and soft pastels.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), Beach at Bas Butin, Honfleur, 1886, Oil on canvas, Collection du Mus谷e des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Tournai, Image courtesy Mus谷e des Beaux-Arts, Tournai.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), Beach at Bas Butin, Honfleur, 1886, Oil on canvas, Collection du Mus谷e des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Tournai, Image courtesy Mus谷e des Beaux-Arts, Tournai.
Georges Seurat, (1859-1891), Le Bec du Hoc, Grandcamp, 1885, Tate/ Tate images
Georges Seurat, (1859-1891), Le Bec du Hoc, Grandcamp, 1885, Tate/ Tate images
Georges Seurat's
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), The Lighthouse at Honfleur, 1886, oil on canvas, 66.7 x 81.9cm. Collection of Mr. And Mrs. Paul Mellon, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), The Lighthouse at Honfleur, 1886, oil on canvas, 66.7 x 81.9cm. Collection of Mr. And Mrs. Paul Mellon, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
‘to cleanse one’s eyes of the days spent in the studio [in Paris] and translate in the most faithful manner the bright light, in all its nuances’
Georges Seurat

This exhibition includes loans from major private collections and public institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia; the Baltimore Museum of Art; the Indianapolis Museum of Art; the Minneapolis Institute of Art; the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City; the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; the Mus谷e d’Orsay, Paris; the Mus谷e des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Tournai; the Kr?ller-M邦ller Museum, Otterlo; the National Gallery, Prague; Tate, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the National Gallery, London.

Due to unprecedented demand, the Courtauld has extended its opening hours on every Friday evening until 20:00 throughout the run of?The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea, to ensure visitors do not miss out. Late night opening tickets are now on sale to Courtauld Members from Friday 13 February, 10:00 and to the public on Monday 16 February, 10:00.

There will be two relaxed exhibition openings on Wednesday 8 April and Tuesday 5 May 2026 between 10:00 and 10:30. Our relaxed openings provide a quieter moment to enjoy the exhibition, with additional support and facilities from our friendly team.

The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea follows major Impressionist exhibitions at the Courtauld Gallery, including?The Morgan Stanley Exhibition: Van Gogh. Self-Portraits and, most recently,?The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Monet and London. Views of the Thames, which was seen by a record 120,000 visitors.

The exhibition is accompanied by a , showcasing the results of research on Seurat’s seascapes and their importance in his ouvre, which is now available to and in-store.

The exhibition’s Title Supporter is Griffin Catalyst, the civic engagement initiative of Citadel Founder and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin.

Book your tickets now

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Courtauld Gallery Exhibitions

Seurat and the Sea

13 Feb – 17 May 2026

∴∴∴∴∴ “Tremendous” – The Guardian; ∴∴∴∴∴ “Pure joy” – The London Standard. Experience the first ever exhibition dedicated to the seascapes of the French artist Georges Seurat.

Plan your visit

Find all the information you need ahead of your visit to the Courtauld Gallery from admission prices to how to get here and more.

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]]> First exhibition devoted to the seascapes of Georges Seurat opens at the Courtauld Gallery /about-us/press-office/press-releases/first-exhibition-devoted-to-the-seascapes-of-georges-seurat-opens-at-the-courtauld-gallery/ Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:09:46 +0000 /?page_id=166163 The post First exhibition devoted to the seascapes of Georges Seurat opens at the Courtauld Gallery appeared first on Courtauld.

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Download press images, here:

The Courtauld Gallery presents the first-ever exhibition devoted to the seascapes of French painter Georges Seurat (1859每1891) from 13 February to 17 May 2026. The first UK exhibition devoted to Seurat in almost 30 years, The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea brings together the largest group of these works ever assembled, 26 in total, offering a detailed look at a significant part of Seurat＊s production.

Seurat is best known for developing a radical new technique of painting with dots of pure colour, which gave birth to Neo-Impressionism. This exhibition charts the evolution of Seurat＊s highly original and distinctive style through the recurring motif of the sea, reuniting for the first time a major group of 26 works〞paintings, oil sketches and drawings〞created over five summer trips to the northern coast of France between 1885 and 1890. A particular highlight is the presentation of the complete series of paintings made in Port-en-Bessin in 1888 and Gravelines in 1890.

Due to his early death at the age of 31, Seurat has a very small body of works and exhibitions devoted to him are rare. Over the course of his short career, he produced more views of the Channel coast than any other type of picture. Working along the coast, in Grandcamp, Honfleur, Port-en-Bessin, Le Crotoy and Gravelines, Seurat captured views out to sea as well as of harbours and ports. They show a different side to an artist better known for paintings of leisure in Paris and its suburbs. In contrast, these quiet and contemplative seascapes are an exploration of light in open spaces often devoid of people. They represented for Seurat a return to nature that enabled him to develop his technique. He sought, in his words, ＆to cleanse one＊s eyes of the days spent in the studio [in Paris] and translate in the most faithful manner the bright light, in all its nuances＊.

This exhibition includes loans from major private collections and public institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia; the Baltimore Museum of Art; the Indianapolis Museum of Art; the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City; the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; the Mus谷e d＊Orsay Paris; the Mus谷e des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Tournai; the Kr?ller-M邦ller Museum, Otterlo; the National Gallery, Prague; Tate, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the National Gallery, London.

Due to unprecedented demand, the Courtauld has extended its opening hours on every Friday evening until 8pm throughout the run of?The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea, to ensure visitors do not miss out. Late night opening tickets go on sale to Courtauld Members on Friday 13 February, 10:00?and to the public on Monday 16 February, 10:00.?

The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea follows major Impressionist exhibitions at the Courtauld Gallery, such as The Morgan Stanley Exhibition: Van Gogh. Self-Portraits and, most recently, the acclaimed The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Monet and London. Views of the Thames, which was seen by a record 120,000 visitors.

The exhibition is accompanied by a beautifully illustrated catalogue, showcasing the results of research on Seurat＊s seascapes and their importance in his oeuvre.

The exhibition＊s Title Supporter is Griffin Catalyst, the civic engagement initiative of Citadel Founder and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin.

The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea
13 February 每 17 May 2026
/whats-on/exh-seurat-and-the-sea/

Tickets for 13 April 每 17 May are on sale to Courtauld Members from Friday 13 February, 10:00, and to the public on Monday 16 February, 10:00.?

Courtauld Members can enjoy the exhibition without the crowds at a preview on Thursday 12 February, 14:00 每 18:00, and also get free unlimited entry to all exhibitions, access to presale tickets, priority booking to selected events, advance notice of art history short courses, exclusive events, discounts and more. Join at courtauld.ac.uk/friends

Relaxed openings
There will be two relaxed exhibition openings on Wednesday 8 April and Tuesday 5 May 2026 between 10:00 每 10:30. Our relaxed openings provide a quieter moment to enjoy the exhibition, with additional support and facilities from our friendly team.

Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN
Opening hours: 10.00 每 18.00 (last entry 17.15), and until 20:00

Temporary Exhibition tickets (including entry to our Permanent Collection and displays) 每 Tickets from ?18. Friends and Under-18s go free. Other concessions available.

Download Press Release

Seurat and the Sea Press Release – Feb 2026 FINAL

MEDIA CONTACTS

Courtauld

media@courtauld.ac.uk

Bolton & Quinn
Erica Bolton | erica@boltonquinn.com | +44 (0)20 7221 5000
Daisy Taylor | daisy@boltonquinn.com | +44 (0)20 7221 5000

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NOTES TO EDITORS

Courtauld
The Courtauld works to advance how we see and understand the visual arts, as an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history and a major public gallery. Founded by collectors and philanthropists in 1932, the organisation has been at the forefront of the study of art ever since through advanced research and conservation practice, innovative teaching, the renowned collection and inspiring exhibitions of its gallery, and engaging and accessible activities, education and events.

The Courtauld Gallery cares for one of the greatest art collections in the UK, presenting these works to the public at the Courtauld Gallery in central London, as well as through loans and partnerships. The Gallery is most famous for its iconic Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces 每 such as Van Gogh＊s?Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear?and Manet＊s?A Bar at the Folies-Berge?re. It showcases these alongside an internationally renowned collection of works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the present day.

Academically, the 鎊飪TV厙桴 is the largest community of art historians and conservators in the UK, teaching and conducting research on subjects ranging from creativity in late Antiquity to contemporary digital art forms 每 with an increasingly global focus. An independent college of the University of London, the Courtauld offers a range of degree programmes from BA to PhD in the History of Art, curating, art and business and the conservation of easel and wall paintings. Its alumni are leaders and innovators in the arts, culture and business worlds, helping to shape the global agenda for the arts and creative industries.

Founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art, the Courtauld works to increase understanding of the role of art throughout history, across all societies and geographies, and to champion its importance in the present day. This could be through exhibitions offering a chance to look closely at world-famous works; events bringing art history research to new audiences; accessible short courses; digital engagement, innovative school, family, and community programmes; or taking a formal qualification. The Courtauld＊s ambition is to transform access to art history education, ensuring as many people as possible can benefit from the tools it offers to better understand the visual world around us.

The Courtauld is an exempt charity and relies on generous philanthropic support to achieve its mission of advancing the understanding of the visual arts of the past and present across the world through advanced research, innovative teaching, inspiring exhibitions, programmes and collections.

The collection cared for by the Courtauld Gallery is owned by the Samuel Courtauld Trust.

About Griffin Catalyst
Griffin Catalyst is the civic engagement initiative of Citadel founder and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin, encompassing his philanthropic and community impact efforts. Tackling the world＊s greatest challenges in innovative, action-oriented, and evidence-driven ways, Griffin Catalyst is dedicated to expanding opportunity and improving lives across six areas of focus: Education, Science & Medicine, Upward Mobility, Freedom & Democracy, Enterprise & Innovation, and Communities. For more information, visit griffincatalyst.org.

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