Goya to Impressionism

at The Courtauld until 26 May 

 As I've said before, exhibitions at The Courtauld are always worth seeing, and the tickets are always sought after. Restricted to two rooms, they are small enough to allow you to look properly at every work, but still large enough to allow a thorough, focussed exploration of the relevant subject matter. 

For the current exhibition, Goya to Impressionism, the subject is a private collection, put together by the Swiss businessman Oskar Reinhart (1885-1965).  Before he reached 40 his interest in art was such that he stepped back from business to devote himself entirely to collecting. The works have never been loaned on such a large scale before, and the exhibition provides a wonderful glimpse into what is, in reality, a far more extensive collection than you might think. The Courtauld concentrates  on the early modern era, and this choice is proving enormously successful: the tickets are selling out every day - so do book ahead!

After a brief introduction (and it will be very brief!) to Oskar Reinhart himself, and to his home town of Winterthur - which I used to pass through, and visit, regularly - we will look at the exhibited works in detail. From Goya the artists range from Courbet to Manet, Renoir and Monet, and even beyond, including Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Toulouse Lautrec - a real treat for the eyes.

Please remember, I do not record my talks.