31 Oct    The Photographers’ Gallery 31 Oct
Natural History Museum    2 Nov  2 Nov
 
 
 
 
 
Floor three at the Courtauld   
Wed, 1 Nov 2023 Wednesday, 1 Nov 2023   London, UK    L M S
 
 
 
 
 

Once you find the Courtauld Gallery (it's in Somerset House in central London) just head up the pretty stairs to the third floor.

Skip floor one, the medieval and early renaissance periods. The first religious piece might be interesting, two or three and my attention lags, but a room full is just a pathology. You might consider strolling through floor two, the less-religious renaissance.

It's floor three that makes this gallery worth the visit. A room chock full of the big names in Impressionism, including Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Modigliani, Gauguin, and van Gogh.

The following are the pieces that grabbed my attention, each accompanied by the gallery's notes. I am especially fond of the Cézannes. The photos don't of course do justice, but, they are better than nothing.

 
 
 
 
The stairs to the third floor  
 
 
 
 
The stairs to the third floor  
 
 
 
 
The stairs to the third floor  
 
 
 
Courtauld Gallery in Somerset House  
 
The gallery entrance is tucked under those arches.
 
 
 
 
Courtauld Gallery in Somerset House  
 
The gallery entrance is tucked under those arches.
 
 
 
 
Courtauld Gallery in Somerset House  
 
The gallery entrance is tucked under those arches.
 
 
 
Portrait of Ambrose Vollard  
 
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)
Portrait of Ambroise Vollard 1908
Oil paint on canvas

At the beginning of the 20th century, Ambroise Vollard was one of the leading advocates for modern art. He became Pierre-Auguste Renoir's main art dealer after 1900. In this flattering portrait, Renoir depicts the shrewd businessman as a thoughtful connoisseur. Vollard is represented examining the statuette of a kneeling female nude by the contemporary sculptor Aristide Maillol. Such depictions of learned collectors belong to a long tradition.
 
 
 
 
Portrait of Ambrose Vollard  
 
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)
Portrait of Ambroise Vollard 1908
Oil paint on canvas

At the beginning of the 20th century, Ambroise Vollard was one of the leading advocates for modern art. He became Pierre-Auguste Renoir's main art dealer after 1900. In this flattering portrait, Renoir depicts the shrewd businessman as a thoughtful connoisseur. Vollard is represented examining the statuette of a kneeling female nude by the contemporary sculptor Aristide Maillol. Such depictions of learned collectors belong to a long tradition.
 
 
 
 
Portrait of Ambrose Vollard  
 
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)
Portrait of Ambroise Vollard 1908
Oil paint on canvas

At the beginning of the 20th century, Ambroise Vollard was one of the leading advocates for modern art. He became Pierre-Auguste Renoir's main art dealer after 1900. In this flattering portrait, Renoir depicts the shrewd businessman as a thoughtful connoisseur. Vollard is represented examining the statuette of a kneeling female nude by the contemporary sculptor Aristide Maillol. Such depictions of learned collectors belong to a long tradition.
 
 
 
Autumn Effect at Argenteuil  
 
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
Autumn Effect at Argenteuil 1873
Oil paint on canvas

Claude Monet painted this view of the river Seine and the town of Argenteuil from his studio boat, moored on a quiet side channel. The real subjects of this work are the flamboyant autumn colours. The orange leaves contrast with the blue water, rendered in thick parallel lines. Monet added texture to the trees by scratching the paint with the handle of his brush. Monet lived in Argenteuil, a suburb of Paris, from 1871 to 1878. It was an affordable alternative to the capital, easily accessible by the new railroads.
 
 
 
 
Autumn Effect at Argenteuil  
 
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
Autumn Effect at Argenteuil 1873
Oil paint on canvas

Claude Monet painted this view of the river Seine and the town of Argenteuil from his studio boat, moored on a quiet side channel. The real subjects of this work are the flamboyant autumn colours. The orange leaves contrast with the blue water, rendered in thick parallel lines. Monet added texture to the trees by scratching the paint with the handle of his brush. Monet lived in Argenteuil, a suburb of Paris, from 1871 to 1878. It was an affordable alternative to the capital, easily accessible by the new railroads.
 
 
 
 
Autumn Effect at Argenteuil  
 
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
Autumn Effect at Argenteuil 1873
Oil paint on canvas

Claude Monet painted this view of the river Seine and the town of Argenteuil from his studio boat, moored on a quiet side channel. The real subjects of this work are the flamboyant autumn colours. The orange leaves contrast with the blue water, rendered in thick parallel lines. Monet added texture to the trees by scratching the paint with the handle of his brush. Monet lived in Argenteuil, a suburb of Paris, from 1871 to 1878. It was an affordable alternative to the capital, easily accessible by the new railroads.
 
 
 
The Haystacks  
 
Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)
The Haystacks 1889
Oil paint on canvas

In the 1880s, Paul Gauguin made several extended trips to Brittany in western France, attracted by the region's remoteness and distinctive culture. This haymaking scene, captured during his third stay, is typical of the radically simplified approach he took to painting at this time. Forms are rendered as flat patches of vibrant colour, while three-dimensional relationships and perspective are deliberately ignored. Gauguin reduces the peasant women raking hay to the basic shapes of their black-and-white regional dress, presenting their actions as a timeless ritual.
 
 
 
 
The Haystacks  
 
Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)
The Haystacks 1889
Oil paint on canvas

In the 1880s, Paul Gauguin made several extended trips to Brittany in western France, attracted by the region's remoteness and distinctive culture. This haymaking scene, captured during his third stay, is typical of the radically simplified approach he took to painting at this time. Forms are rendered as flat patches of vibrant colour, while three-dimensional relationships and perspective are deliberately ignored. Gauguin reduces the peasant women raking hay to the basic shapes of their black-and-white regional dress, presenting their actions as a timeless ritual.
 
 
 
 
The Haystacks  
 
Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)
The Haystacks 1889
Oil paint on canvas

In the 1880s, Paul Gauguin made several extended trips to Brittany in western France, attracted by the region's remoteness and distinctive culture. This haymaking scene, captured during his third stay, is typical of the radically simplified approach he took to painting at this time. Forms are rendered as flat patches of vibrant colour, while three-dimensional relationships and perspective are deliberately ignored. Gauguin reduces the peasant women raking hay to the basic shapes of their black-and-white regional dress, presenting their actions as a timeless ritual.
 
 
 
Peach Trees in Blossom  
 
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Peach Trees in Blossom 1889
Oil paint on canvas

Vincent van Gogh captured this view of an open plain outside Arles in early spring 1889. He wrote to his brother that the blossoms and the distant snow-capped mountain reminded him of the cherry trees and Mount Fuji in the Japanese prints he collected and greatly admired. Van Gogh had moved to the south of France a year earlier, hoping that the Provençal light and landscape would inspire his art.

The scene is rendered with a great variety of brushstrokes, from thick dots of paint for the blossoms to long streaks for the mountains.
 
 
 
 
Peach Trees in Blossom  
 
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Peach Trees in Blossom 1889
Oil paint on canvas

Vincent van Gogh captured this view of an open plain outside Arles in early spring 1889. He wrote to his brother that the blossoms and the distant snow-capped mountain reminded him of the cherry trees and Mount Fuji in the Japanese prints he collected and greatly admired. Van Gogh had moved to the south of France a year earlier, hoping that the Provençal light and landscape would inspire his art.

The scene is rendered with a great variety of brushstrokes, from thick dots of paint for the blossoms to long streaks for the mountains.
 
 
 
 
Peach Trees in Blossom  
 
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Peach Trees in Blossom 1889
Oil paint on canvas

Vincent van Gogh captured this view of an open plain outside Arles in early spring 1889. He wrote to his brother that the blossoms and the distant snow-capped mountain reminded him of the cherry trees and Mount Fuji in the Japanese prints he collected and greatly admired. Van Gogh had moved to the south of France a year earlier, hoping that the Provençal light and landscape would inspire his art.

The scene is rendered with a great variety of brushstrokes, from thick dots of paint for the blossoms to long streaks for the mountains.
 
 
 
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear  
 
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear 1889
Oil paint on canvas

This famous self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh expresses his artistic power and personal struggles.

Van Gogh painted it in January 1889, a week after leaving hospital. He had received treatment there after cutting off most of his left ear (shown here as the bandaged right ear because he painted himself in a mirror). This self-mutilation was a desperate act committed a few weeks earlier, following a heated argument with his fellow painter Paul Gauguin.

Van Gogh's fur cap secures his thick bandage and wards off the winter cold. Created in harsh conditions, this self-portrait demonstrates Van Gogh's determination to continue painting, reinforced by the objects behind him: a canvas on an easel and a Japanese print, an important source of inspiration. Above all, it is Van Gogh's brushwork and powerful handling of colour that declare his renewed ambition as a painter.
 
 
 
 
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear  
 
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear 1889
Oil paint on canvas

This famous self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh expresses his artistic power and personal struggles.

Van Gogh painted it in January 1889, a week after leaving hospital. He had received treatment there after cutting off most of his left ear (shown here as the bandaged right ear because he painted himself in a mirror). This self-mutilation was a desperate act committed a few weeks earlier, following a heated argument with his fellow painter Paul Gauguin.

Van Gogh's fur cap secures his thick bandage and wards off the winter cold. Created in harsh conditions, this self-portrait demonstrates Van Gogh's determination to continue painting, reinforced by the objects behind him: a canvas on an easel and a Japanese print, an important source of inspiration. Above all, it is Van Gogh's brushwork and powerful handling of colour that declare his renewed ambition as a painter.
 
 
 
 
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear  
 
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear 1889
Oil paint on canvas

This famous self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh expresses his artistic power and personal struggles.

Van Gogh painted it in January 1889, a week after leaving hospital. He had received treatment there after cutting off most of his left ear (shown here as the bandaged right ear because he painted himself in a mirror). This self-mutilation was a desperate act committed a few weeks earlier, following a heated argument with his fellow painter Paul Gauguin.

Van Gogh's fur cap secures his thick bandage and wards off the winter cold. Created in harsh conditions, this self-portrait demonstrates Van Gogh's determination to continue painting, reinforced by the objects behind him: a canvas on an easel and a Japanese print, an important source of inspiration. Above all, it is Van Gogh's brushwork and powerful handling of colour that declare his renewed ambition as a painter.
 
 
 
Man with a Pipe, Cézanne  
 
Paul Cézanne (1839-1906)
Man with a Pipe
Around 1892-96
Oil paint on canvas

In this portrait, Paul Cézanne seems to have carefully considered every brushstroke in order to convey the sitter's features and character. The man, a farmworker from the artist's family estate, is portrayed as a stoical figure, his weathered face suggesting a working life spent outdoors. Cézanne made a number of paintings of rural workers at this time. He wrote: 'I love above all the appearance of people who have grown old without breaking with old customs.’
 
 
 
 
Man with a Pipe, Cézanne  
 
Paul Cézanne (1839-1906)
Man with a Pipe
Around 1892-96
Oil paint on canvas

In this portrait, Paul Cézanne seems to have carefully considered every brushstroke in order to convey the sitter's features and character. The man, a farmworker from the artist's family estate, is portrayed as a stoical figure, his weathered face suggesting a working life spent outdoors. Cézanne made a number of paintings of rural workers at this time. He wrote: 'I love above all the appearance of people who have grown old without breaking with old customs.’
 
 
 
 
Man with a Pipe, Cézanne  
 
Paul Cézanne (1839-1906)
Man with a Pipe
Around 1892-96
Oil paint on canvas

In this portrait, Paul Cézanne seems to have carefully considered every brushstroke in order to convey the sitter's features and character. The man, a farmworker from the artist's family estate, is portrayed as a stoical figure, his weathered face suggesting a working life spent outdoors. Cézanne made a number of paintings of rural workers at this time. He wrote: 'I love above all the appearance of people who have grown old without breaking with old customs.’
 
 
 
The Card Players, Cézanne  
 
Paul Cézanne (1839-1906)
The Card Players
Around 1892-96
Oil paint on canvas

Paul Cézanne spent several years drawing and painting farmworkers from the rural estate where he lived near Aix-en-Provence, in the south of France. This is one of five paintings depicting some of these men playing cards. The figure on the right is a gardener called Paulin Paulet. The other player remains unidentified; Cézanne also made a portrait of him, on display nearby. Cézanne's figures are elongated, somewhat out of proportion, and his brushwork is lively and varied. However, the overall feeling in the painting is one of stillness and concentration, with the men completely absorbed in their game. Before Cézanne, artists and illustrators often represented card playing as a rowdy activity in taverns with wine and beer flowing. This painting offers a different vision: Cézanne's labourers are monumental and dignified, like timeworn statues.
 
 
 
 
The Card Players, Cézanne  
 
Paul Cézanne (1839-1906)
The Card Players
Around 1892-96
Oil paint on canvas

Paul Cézanne spent several years drawing and painting farmworkers from the rural estate where he lived near Aix-en-Provence, in the south of France. This is one of five paintings depicting some of these men playing cards. The figure on the right is a gardener called Paulin Paulet. The other player remains unidentified; Cézanne also made a portrait of him, on display nearby. Cézanne's figures are elongated, somewhat out of proportion, and his brushwork is lively and varied. However, the overall feeling in the painting is one of stillness and concentration, with the men completely absorbed in their game. Before Cézanne, artists and illustrators often represented card playing as a rowdy activity in taverns with wine and beer flowing. This painting offers a different vision: Cézanne's labourers are monumental and dignified, like timeworn statues.
 
 
 
 
The Card Players, Cézanne  
 
Paul Cézanne (1839-1906)
The Card Players
Around 1892-96
Oil paint on canvas

Paul Cézanne spent several years drawing and painting farmworkers from the rural estate where he lived near Aix-en-Provence, in the south of France. This is one of five paintings depicting some of these men playing cards. The figure on the right is a gardener called Paulin Paulet. The other player remains unidentified; Cézanne also made a portrait of him, on display nearby. Cézanne's figures are elongated, somewhat out of proportion, and his brushwork is lively and varied. However, the overall feeling in the painting is one of stillness and concentration, with the men completely absorbed in their game. Before Cézanne, artists and illustrators often represented card playing as a rowdy activity in taverns with wine and beer flowing. This painting offers a different vision: Cézanne's labourers are monumental and dignified, like timeworn statues.
 
 
 
Admiring A Bar at the Folies-Bergère  
 
 
 
 
Admiring A Bar at the Folies-Bergère  
 
 
 
 
Admiring A Bar at the Folies-Bergère  
 
 
 
A Bar at the Folies-Bergère  
 
Édouard Manet (1832-1883)
A Bar at the Folies-Bergère 1882
Oil paint on canvas

This celebrated work is Édouard Manet's last major painting, completed a year before he died.

At one of the bars in the Folies-Bergère - a popular Parisian music hall - wine, champagne and British Bass beer with its red triangle logo await customers. A fashionable crowd mingles on the balcony. The legs and green boots of a trapeze artist in the upper left hint at the exciting musical and circus acts entertaining the audience. This animated background is in fact a reflection in the large gold-framed mirror, which projects it into the viewer's own space.

Manet made sketches on-site but painted this work entirely in his studio, where a barmaid named Suzon came to pose. She is the painting's still centre. Her enigmatic expression is unsettling, especially as she appears to be interacting with a male customer. Ignoring normal perspective, Manet shifted their reflection to the right. The bottles on the left are similarly misaligned in the mirror. This play of reflections emphasises the disorientating atmosphere of the Folies-Bergère. In this work, Manet created a complex and absorbing composition that is considered one of the iconic paintings of modern life.
 
 
 
 
A Bar at the Folies-Bergère  
 
Édouard Manet (1832-1883)
A Bar at the Folies-Bergère 1882
Oil paint on canvas

This celebrated work is Édouard Manet's last major painting, completed a year before he died.

At one of the bars in the Folies-Bergère - a popular Parisian music hall - wine, champagne and British Bass beer with its red triangle logo await customers. A fashionable crowd mingles on the balcony. The legs and green boots of a trapeze artist in the upper left hint at the exciting musical and circus acts entertaining the audience. This animated background is in fact a reflection in the large gold-framed mirror, which projects it into the viewer's own space.

Manet made sketches on-site but painted this work entirely in his studio, where a barmaid named Suzon came to pose. She is the painting's still centre. Her enigmatic expression is unsettling, especially as she appears to be interacting with a male customer. Ignoring normal perspective, Manet shifted their reflection to the right. The bottles on the left are similarly misaligned in the mirror. This play of reflections emphasises the disorientating atmosphere of the Folies-Bergère. In this work, Manet created a complex and absorbing composition that is considered one of the iconic paintings of modern life.
 
 
 
 
A Bar at the Folies-Bergère  
 
Édouard Manet (1832-1883)
A Bar at the Folies-Bergère 1882
Oil paint on canvas

This celebrated work is Édouard Manet's last major painting, completed a year before he died.

At one of the bars in the Folies-Bergère - a popular Parisian music hall - wine, champagne and British Bass beer with its red triangle logo await customers. A fashionable crowd mingles on the balcony. The legs and green boots of a trapeze artist in the upper left hint at the exciting musical and circus acts entertaining the audience. This animated background is in fact a reflection in the large gold-framed mirror, which projects it into the viewer's own space.

Manet made sketches on-site but painted this work entirely in his studio, where a barmaid named Suzon came to pose. She is the painting's still centre. Her enigmatic expression is unsettling, especially as she appears to be interacting with a male customer. Ignoring normal perspective, Manet shifted their reflection to the right. The bottles on the left are similarly misaligned in the mirror. This play of reflections emphasises the disorientating atmosphere of the Folies-Bergère. In this work, Manet created a complex and absorbing composition that is considered one of the iconic paintings of modern life.
 
 
 
Top of the stairs  
 
 
 
 
Top of the stairs  
 
 
 
 
Top of the stairs  
 
 
 
View from Somerset House  
 
 
 
 
View from Somerset House  
 
 
 
 
View from Somerset House  
 
 
 
Back on the street  
 
 
 
 
Back on the street  
 
 
 
 
Back on the street  
 
 
 
Rental bikes parked along the Thames  
 
 
 
 
Rental bikes parked along the Thames  
 
 
 
 
Rental bikes parked along the Thames  
 
 
 
Embankment Gardens  
 
As I walked along the Thames I took the opportunity to slip into Embankment Gardens.
 
 
 
 
Embankment Gardens  
 
As I walked along the Thames I took the opportunity to slip into Embankment Gardens.
 
 
 
 
Embankment Gardens  
 
As I walked along the Thames I took the opportunity to slip into Embankment Gardens.
 
 
 
 31 Oct    The Photographers’ Gallery 31 Oct
Natural History Museum    2 Nov  2 Nov