The Samuel Courtauld Society


One of the ways the Courtauld will be celebrating its 75th anniversary next academic year, is by introducing a donors’ group named after the Institute’s founder: the Samuel Courtauld Society. Membership of this Society offers opportunities to access the Courtauld’s collections and our distinguished faculty, curators and alumni. Our aim is to attract 75 Patrons and 10 Director’s Circle members by the Courtauld’s 75th birthday. We are delighted that as this goes to press, we are more than halfway to reaching this goal.


The first programme of events for the Samuel Courtauld Society offers some special opportunities the highlights of which include:

Gallery Dinner
Guest of honour, Andrew Graham-Dixon, arts broadcaster, will speak about his student days at the Courtauld and highlights of his career.
Monday 4 June, 7.00 – 10.00pm

The Dorothy Scharf Bequest: Private View
An evening in September, date to be confirmed

The Scharf bequest is the most significant addition to the Courtauld collection in over 25 years and includes eight watercolours by J.M.W Turner. Patrons and Director’s Circle members are offered the opportunity to be amongst the first to view the Dorothy Scharf bequest in the intimate setting of the Prints and Drawings Room with Curator of Prints, Dr Joanna Selborne.


If you would like more information on joining the Patron level at £1,250 pa or the Director’s Circle at £5,000 pa then please contact Kate Knight (Head of Individual Giving Programmes) on 0207 848 2194.

Friends’ Event Highlights


The current Friends’ events programme has been developed to highlight two major events: First, the Friends’ generous support of the Guercino: Mind to Paper exhibition and second, the forthcoming 75th anniversary of the founding of the Courtauld Institute. It has been an extremely popular programme with the Friends attending in even greater numbers and enjoying events that have a unique connection with the Courtauld.

Some highlights have included a special tour by Courtauld Curator of Drawings, Dr Stephanie Buck, of our recent exhibition Guercino: Mind to Paper, supported by the Friends, in our Gallery. In March we had an extremely popular trip to the original home of the Courtauld Institute and its founder, Home House, with a fascinating tour by Courtauld alumna, Madeline Edmead.

Forthcoming events include a tour of Canary Wharf’s modern architecture with Anna Fenn, Courtauld alumna and Blue Badge Guide. In June many Friends will be visiting Eltham Palace, home of Stephen, youngest brother of Samuel Courtauld, and Virginia Courtauld, with its medieval Great Hall and Art Deco extension built by the Courtaulds. Also in June, Dr Caroline Campbell, Curator of Paintings, will lead a special tour for Friends of our next temporary exhibition: Temptation in Eden: Lucas Cranach’s Adam and Eve.

All these events have now been fully booked but the next programme will be published in September. If you would like to enjoy events like these, support the Courtauld Instutute and become a Friend today. For more information visit www.courtauld.ac.uk/friends.


Kate Knight – Head of Individual Giving Programmes


 



The Friends Management Committee very much regrets the retirement of Trustee Morton Neal after serving for 11 years. We would like to thank Morton for his constant support and commitment to the Friends of the Courtauld, over many years. In the 1980s he chaired the appeal which raised £6 million to move the Courtauld Institute to Somerset House. Morton recently played an important part in the work to refresh the Friends’ scheme, which will be launched during the Courtauld’s 75th anniversary year.


We are, however, pleased to welcome five new trustees who will carry on this good work: Roger Emery, Sophie Mallinckrodt, Judith Mitchell, Lady Judy Ridley of Liddesdale and Hazel Weiss. The Friends Management Committee, together with the Development Team, and in consultation with our members, look forward to sharing the new-look Friends scheme with you in the autumn.


Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri), Interior of a baker's shop, pen and ink on paper. Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery, London, detail