DECEMBER


St Mary le Strand

CHRISTMAS CAROLS

THURSDAY 3 DECEMBER 5PM

Please join the staff and students of The Courtauld for our annual Christmas carol service at our local church of St Mary le Strand. This wonderful church was built by James Gibbs in 1711. The carol service will be followed by drinks at TheCourtauld                               

                                                  

Samson Slaying The Philistine by Giovanni Bologna, Italy, 1500-1550. Image@V&A
Samson Slaying The Phillistine (detail) by Giovanni Bologna (Giambologna), Italy, 1500-1550. Image © V&A

NEW MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE GALLERIES AT THE VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM

FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 11.30AM – 12.30PM

Curatorial talk and viewing of the new Medieval and Renaissance Galleries at the V&A followed by refreshments in the V&A Members’ Room.


Kensington Palace, with its magnificent paintings by William Kent (1685-1748), was rebuilt under George I by William Benson replacing Sir Christopher Wren in 1718. We will have a behind the scenes look at treasures from the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection including clothing worn at the coronation of George IV, 18th century court dress and the superb tailoring worn by Edward VIII. We will also see highlights such as Queen Victoria’s bedroom, The King’s staircase, The Last Debutantes exhibition and much more. Afterwards we hope you will join The Friends for a light lunch in The Orangery Restaurant.

NOVEMBER

Courtauld Friends at St Pancrass
Marianne Fox Ockinga at work in Olympic Stadium, 2009

AUERBACH WALKING TOUR AND STUDIO VISIT

SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER 11AM -1.30PM

Guided walk with Matthew Sturgis, Sickert expert, in Camden followed by a visit to the Studio of artist Marianne Fox Ockinga and optional lunch


Matthew Sturgis took on a guided tour of some of the sites from Auerbach’s London paintings, notably around Camden such as the Regent’s Park Housing Estate. After visiting St Pancras International, as redesigned by Foster and Partners earlier this decade, we took a short bus ride to the Islington Studio of the Dutch artist Marian Fox Ockinga, famous for her industrial landscapes and frequent RA summer exhibitionist. She has been the ‘artist-in-residence’ on major building sites around London: The Emirates and Wembley stadia, the St Pancras/Kings Cross area and currently the Olympic Stadium. Marianne talked about her work and over drinks and nibbles while afterwards Friends we discussed our impressions in a local Islington pub (optional).

Middle Temple Hall, 1896
 Middle Temple Hall, 1896 MIddLE TEMPLE HALL including Lunch

WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER 11.15AM – 2PM
Private guided tour by Robert Hradsky, Courtauld PhD student and specialist in the Inns of Court, of the Middle Temple Hall, followed by lunch


We will receive a private guided tour by Robert Hradsky of the finest Elizabethan building in central London.  The Middle Temple and the other three Inns of Court were established in the 16th century while the current Middle Temple Hall was built between 1562 and 1572 with its distinctive double hammer-beam roof. It has a very famous history and was even used as a theatre hosting the first night of The Twelfth Night by Shakespeare in 1602. Measuring 101 by 41 feet and its high table made of 29 feet planks of a single oak, it is the place where the bench, bar and students still have their lunches and dinners in term time and the Friends are delighted to be joining them.



OCTOBER

Pieter Brueghel the Elder (c. 1525-69) Landscape with Flight into Egypt, 1563 , Samuel Courtauld Trust
Pieter Brueghel the Elder (c. 1525-69), Landscape with Flight into Egypt (detail), 1563 © Samuel Courtauld Trust WELCOME TOUR

THE COURTAULD GALLERY*

THURSDAY 22 OCTOBER 5-9PM

Tour of the permanent collection will be from 5 to 6pm at The Courtauld Gallery remains open till 9pm

We are delighted to offer once again a tour of some of the masterpieces of the Courtauld Gallery by a Courtauld expert. To make the experience even more delightful this tour will be followed by some light music in The Gallery while there will be drinks and nibbles available in the cash bar in The Courtauld Café till 9pm in the evening. In addition Courtauld experts will hold talks on the Auerbach exhibition, just in case you were unable to come to the Friends’ Private View and curatorial tour. Please bring a friend to what promises to be a wonderful evening event.




Frank Auerbach, Maples Demolition Site, 1960
Frank Auerbach (born 1931), Maples Demolition Site, 1960, Leeds City Art Gallery Private View

FRANK AUERBACH: LONDON BUILDING SITES 1952-62

THE COURTAULD GALLERY*

THURSDAY 15 OCTOBER 3-5PM

Private View and curatorial tour by Dr Barnaby Wright, The Daniel Katz Curator of 20TH Century Art, followed by tea and cake in the Courtauld Common Room

This will be the first exhibition to bring together the seminal group of paintings of London building sites by Frank Auerbach (born 1931). These extraordinary paintings are among the most important contributions to post-war painting in Britain. Fascinated by the post-war rebuilding of London, Auerbach combed the city’s numerous building sites with his sketchbook in hand.  He visited major sites such as St Paul’s, Oxford Street, the Regent’s Park Housing Estate, Leicester Square and the Shell Building on the South Bank. Drawing on public and private collections nationally and internationally, the exhibition charts the early development of Auerbach’s remarkable approach to painting, for which he is celebrated as one of Britain’s greatest living artists.

46 Gordon Square Bloomsbury
46 Bloomsbury Square, Bloomsbury BLOOMSBURY WALK

Saturday 12 September, 11AM – 1PM

Guided walk with Anna Fenn, alumna and blue badge guide, in Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia, followed by lunch (optional) in local pub

Bloomsbury is notable for its array of garden squares and its connections with the writers and painters, commonly known as The Bloomsbury Group. Courtauld alumna, Anna Fee, will guide us through the area where members like Clive Bell, David Garnett, Virginia and Leonard Woolf, E.M. Forster, Lytton Strachey and Roger Fry used to live.

 

Anish Kapoor and Damien Hirst
Anish Kapoor and Damien Hirst PRIVATE TOUR OF THE DEUTSCHE BANK COLLECTION

Deutsche Bank

Wednesday 1 July, 6 – 8pm

Private Curator Tour of the permanent collection followed by drinks

Due to huge demand we are again offering a Curatorial Tour of the permanent collection of Deutsche Bank in London. Deutsche Bank owns around 53,000 works of art making it the largest corporate art collection in the world. As well as some large sculptures and canvasses in the reception area by Damien Hirst, Anish Kapoor, Tony Cragg and James Rosenquist, the collection concentrates on contemporary works on paper, from 1960 to the present day, and also includes photographic works and prints. The aim of the collection is to support young and often unknown artists and their galleries, and to give staff and visitors the opportunity to encounter contemporary art outside museums and galleries.


Duncan Grant Abstract Design for a Rug (detail) BEYOND BLOOMSBURY:
DESIGNS OF THE OMEGA WORKSHOPS 1913-19

The Courtauld Gallery

Wednesday 17 June, 3 – 4PM

Lead Supporter – The Friends of The Courtauld

Private View and Guided Tour by Dr Alexandra Gerstein, Curator for Sculpture and Decorative Arts, followed by tea and cake in The Courtauld Common Room

Friends will have the opportunity to explore this exhibition in a small group before it is open to the public, and hear more about the art from the Curator. Established in 1913, the Omega Workshops were an experimental design cooperative, whose members included Roger Fry, Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant and other artists of the Bloomsbury Group. The Workshops were a laboratory of radical design ideas, creating a range of objects for the home, from rugs and linens to ceramics, furniture and clothing – all boldly coloured and patterned with dynamic abstract designs. The exhibition will draw from The Courtauld Gallery’s holdings of over 100 rarely seen Omega Workshops design drawings, reuniting them with associated textiles and other objects from major museums and private collections to explore the group’s experimental style and working process.


CHARLESTON HOUSE

Saturday 6 June, 11.45am – 4pm

Guided Tour of Charleston House followed by lunch and a garden visit

In advance of our own exhibition, Beyond Bloomsbury: Designs of the Omega Workshops 1913-19, the Friends will visit Charleston House in Sussex. In 1919, the artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant moved here, and over the following half century Charleston became the country meeting place for the group of artists, writers and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group: Clive Bell, David Garnett, Virginia & Leonard Woolf, E.M. Forster, Lytton Strachey and Roger Fry. The artists decorated the walls, doors and furniture of the house. After lunch in the café we will have time to explore the walled garden which has been redesigned in a style reminiscent of southern Europe, with mosaics, box hedges, gravel pathways and ponds.



WELCOME TOUR

The Courtauld Gallery

Saturday 16 May , 11am – 12pm

Tour of the permanent collection at The Courtauld Gallery followed by lunch

We are delighted to offer a tour of the masterpieces of The Courtauld Gallery by a Courtauld expert. It is especially intended for new Friends to get more closely acquainted with our collection, but all Friends are welcome to attend and enjoy a closer look at old favourites.


LECTURE ON IMPERIAL DOWRIES IN RUSSIA

Kenneth Clark Theatre, The Courtauld Institute of Art

Wednesday 29 April, 6.30 – 8.30pm

It is with great regret that we have to cancel this lecture by Professor Alexei Leporc, curator at The State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, due to unavoidable changes to his travel schedule. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.


OPERA ERMIONE BY OPERA RARA

Royal Festival Hall

Saturday 28 March, 2 – 5pm

Open rehearsal of Rossini’s Ermione performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra

Not only did Samuel Courtauld found The Courtauld, but he also helped found the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) – both in 1932! In recognition of this relationship, we are very pleased to offer our Friends the chance to attend an open rehearsal performance of the opera Ermione by Gioachino Rossini performed by the LPO. Rossini’s opera is based on Racine's classic play about the widow of the Trojan hero Hector. The performance will be will be sung in Italian with English surtitles.



AnNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE FRIENDS OF THE COURTAUld

Seminar Room 4, The Courtauld Institute of Art

Thursday 12 March, 6.30pm

Please join us for a review of the year and discussion of future plans for the Friends of The Courtauld whilst enjoying a glass of wine. All Friends welcome. If you would like to attend, please RSVP on the booking form.


The Homilies of Monk James Kokkinobaphos, 1100-1150
The Homilies of Monk James Kokkinobaphos, 1100–1150 LECTURE ON BYZANTIUM 330-1453

Kenneth Clark Theatre, The Courtauld Institute of Art

Thursday 26 February, 6 – 8pm

Lecture on the Byzantium 330-1453 exhibition by Robin Cormack, Emeritus Professor of The Courtauld, followed by drinks in the foyer

Robin Cormack, consultant on the Byzantium 330-1453 exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts will talk to Friends about the splendours of the Byzantine Empire, from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, to the capture of the city by the Ottoman forces of Mehmed II in 1453.






The Master of Marradi, The Reconciliation of the Romans and the Sabines, c. 1470-80 © Harewood House Trust, Harewood House, Yorkshire
The Master of Marradi, The Reconciliation of the Romans and the Sabines, c. 1470-80 © Harewood House Trust, Harewood House, Yorkshire LOVE AND MARRIAGE IN RENAISSANCE FLORENCE: THE COURTAULD WEDDING CHESTS

The Courtauld Gallery

Wednesday 11 February, 3 – 4pm

Private View and Guided Tour by Dr Caroline Campbell, Schroder Foundation Curator of Paintings, followed by tea and cake in The Courtauld Common Room

Friends will have the opportunity to explore the exhibition in a small group before it is open to the public, and hear more about the art from the Curator. The exhibition is focused around two of The Courtauld’s treasures: the pair of chests ordered in 1472 by the Florentine Lorenzo Morelli to celebrate his marriage with Vaggia Nerli. Lavishly decorated, these chests were commissioned to celebrate marriage alliances between powerful families. Their painted panels tell tales and history from ancient Greece, Rome and Palestine, as well as from Florentine literature and more recent history.

The Deutsche Bank Collection at Winchester House
The Deutsche Bank Collection at Winchester House


PRIVATE TOUR OF THE DEUTSCHE BANK COLLECTION

Wednesday 21 January, 6 – 8pm

Private curator tour of the permanent collection followed by drinks

Deutsche Bank owns around 53,000 works of art making it the largest corporate art collection in the world. As well as some large sculptures and canvases in the reception area by Damien Hirst, Anish Kapoor, Tony Cragg and James Rosenqust, the collection concentrates on contemporary works on paper, from 1960 to the present day and also includes photographic works and prints. The aim of the collection is to support young and often unknown artists and their galleries, and to give staff and visitors the opportunity to encounter contemporary art outside museums and galleries.

FULLY BOOKED

2008

christmas carols

St Mary le Strand, Thursday 4 December 5pm


Friends joined the staff and students of The Courtauld for our annual Christmas Carol Service at our local church of St Mary le Strand. This wonderful church was built by James Gibbs in 1711. The carol service was followed by drinks at The Courtauld.

 


Georges Seurat, Young Woman Powdering Herself c.1888-90 © The Samuel Courtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery, London
Georges Seurat Young Woman Powdering Herself, c.1888-90 © The Samuel Courtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery, London
WELCOME TOUR OF THE COURTAULD GALLERY

Saturday 15 November 11am – 12pm


Friends were given a tour of some of the masterpieces of The Courtauld Gallery by alumna and Courtauld expert Dr Piola Massarotto.


 










 

JMW Turner Dawn after the Wreck c.1841 © The Samuel Courtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery
JMW Turner Dawn after the Wreck, c.1841 © The Samuel Courtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery, London


PATHS TO FAME: TURNER WATERCOLOURS FROM THE COURTAULD

Sponsored by The Bank of New York Mellon
The Courtauld Gallery, Wednesday 29 October 3 – 4pm

Friends enjoyed a Private View and guided tour by Dr Joanna Selborne, Curator of Prints followed by tea and cake in The Common Room



Petworth House
Petworth House


PETWORTH HOUSE: TURNER WATERCOLOURS AND CAPABILITY BROWN GARDENS

Saturday 25 October 10am – 5pm


In conjunction with our own Turner exhibition, we arranged a special Turner tour at Petworth House by Collections Curator Josephine Barry. Turner was hugely inspired by the surrounding wonderful landscape at Petworth House and the highlight of the visit was the collection of Turner paintings specially commissioned for the Carved Room. After lunch we explored the Capability Brown landscaped gardens.







Mark Rothko Red on Maroon 1959 Tate, London 2008 Mark Rothko Red on Maroon, 1959 © Tate, London 2008
Morning Private view of rothko

Tate Modern, Friday 10 October 9 – 10am

We were privileged to have Achim Borchardt-Hume, Curator for Modern and Contemporary Art at Tate Modern, guiding us through Tate Modern’s new exhibition Rothko. The 1958-59 ‘Seagram’ murals formed one of the focal points for the exhibition, uniting for the very first time the nine murals in Tate's Collection with a selection of their counterparts from Japan and Washington.

Other works shown included Rothko's stunning Black-Form paintings which closely relate to the Rothko Chapel at Houston, his large-scale Brown and Gray works on paper and his final series of Black on Gray paintings on canvas.



The Queen's House and Old Naval College at Greenwich
The Queen's House and Old Royal Naval College (Greenwich Tourism)
greenwich architectural walk
Greenwich, Sunday 7 September 2-4pm

The Friends enjoyed an architectural walk round Greenwich which began with lunch in the Greenwich Union. Dr Lucy Jessop, Courtauld alumna and architectural historian, led the two hour walk exploring the history of the royal palace site and its development under William and Mary into The Royal Hospital for Seamen. Friends also visited the remaining parts of the palace built by Inigo Jones for the early Stuarts and by John Webb for King Charles II.

Paul Cézanne, Montagne Sainte-Victoire (detail) c. 1887
Paul Cézanne, Montagne Sainte-Victoire (detail) c. 1887


COURTAULD CEZANNES
The Courtauld Gallery, Wednesday 25 June 3-4pm

Private View and Guided Tour followed by tea in The Gallery Café. This exhibition presented the Courtauld’s entire collection for the first time with major paintings such as the iconic Montagne Sainte-Victoire (1887) shown alongside rarely seen drawings and watercolours. Dr Barnaby Wright, Curator of Paintings, gave Friends a guided tour of this fabulous exhibition.

Cassone Panel c.1450
Cassone panel - Siege of Carthage and the Continence of Scipio c.1450

THE CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT
The Courtauld Institute of Art, Wednesday 7 May 6-7.30pm


Graeme Barraclough, Head of The Courtauld Gallery Conservation, gave Friends an exclusive tour and talk on his current projects. These included the technical examination of a fifteenth century Italian cassone panel Siege of Carthage and the Continence of Scipio.

Raphael, Study for the Phrygian Sibyl, (detail) a drawing, Italy, about AD 1511-12 © Trustees of the British Museum
Raphael, Study for the Phrygian Sibyl, (detail) a drawing, Italy, about AD 1511-12 © Trustees of the British Museum


THE BRITISH MUSEUM
The Prints and Drawings Room, Wednesday 30 April

Dr Anthony Griffiths, Courtauld alumnus and keeper of the prints and drawings at the British Museum gave the Friends an exclusive talk on the workings of the Prints and Drawings Room at the British Museum, which houses one of the top three collections of its kind in the world.











Rousseau, Toll gate c1890
Henri Rousseau, Toll gate c1890
THE COURTAULD GALLERY
Saturday 26 April 11am-12pm

Friends were welcomed onto a tour of some of the masterpieces of the Courtauld Gallery. This was an opportunity for both existing and new Friends to get more closely acquainted with our collections.









Philip Jackson, Don Ottavio (detail), 1992 Bronze, © Philip Jackson
Philip Jackson, Don Ottavio (detail), 1992 Bronze, © Philip Jackson


EAST WING COLLECTION ON TIME
The Courtauld Institute of Art, Tuesday 18 March 6.15-8pm

Private View and Guided Tour of On Time, the 8th East Wing Collection, which has been curated by current Courtauld students. The exhibition explores notions of time with innovative approaches to traditional media. Click here for more information.



ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE FRIENDS OF THE COURTAULD
The Courtauld Institute of Art, Tueday 4 March 4.15-5pm

Friends joined us for a review of the year and discussion of future plans for the Friends.

THE COURTAULD'S SILVER COLLECTION
The Courtauld Gallery, Tuesday 4 March 3-4pm
Curatorial Discussion on The Courtauld Silver Collection


The magnificent and important collection of silver on display in The Courtauld Gallery represents silver designed and made by three successive generations of the Courtauld family: Augustin Courtauld (1685/6-1751), his son Samuel (1720-1765) and Samuel’s widow Louisa (c.1730-1807). These brilliant pieces of silver vary from domestic objects to so called ‘objets de vitrine’. Dr Alexandra Gerstein, Courtauld Curator for Sculpture and Decorative Arts discussed the provenance and the craftsmanship involved in this unique silver collection.

Single-Register Diptych: Nativity with Annunciation to the Shepherds, and Last Judgement, Paris, c. 1300 or 1325-50 © Thomson Collection, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Single-Register Diptych: Nativity with Annunciation to the Shepherds, and Last Judgement, Paris, c. 1300 or 1325-50 © Thomson Collection, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
MEDIEVAL IVORIES FROM THE THOMSON COLLECTION

The Courtauld Gallery, Tuesday 26 February 3-4pm

The Courtauld's Professor John Lowden spoke to the Friends about some of the finest medieval ivories from the Kenneth Thomson collection. These included large and small statuettes of the Virgin and Child and diptychs and triptychs with scenes from the life of Christ carved in relief. It was also a unique opportunity to see and hear more about the astonishing Nativity and Last Judgement diptych. This diptych had just been established, through carbon-14 dating, to be of the 12th or 13th century. A discovery which was a direct result of research by Professor Lowden.

Pierre-August Renoir La Loge (The Theatre Box), 1874 © The Samuel Courtauld Trust, London
Pierre-August Renoir La Loge (The Theatre Box), 1874 © The Samuel Courtauld Trust, London
RENOIR AT THE THEATRE: LOOKING AT LA LOGE

The Courtauld Gallery, Wednesday 20 February 3-4pm

Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s La Loge (The Theatre Box), 1874, is a masterpiece of Impressionist painting and one of the most famous works in The Courtauld Gallery’s collection. The exhibition united this exceptional picture with Renoir’s other paintings of elegant Parisians on display in their loges. As part of the guided tour, Dr Ernst Vegelin, Head of The Courtauld Gallery, explored aspects of theatre painting, contemporary fashion and caricatures in Paris at the time.