Goya to Impressionism. Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection ★★★★★ The Courtauld Gallery | Feb 14 - May 26, 2025


This extraordinary exhibition is a selection of twenty-five works from the over two hundred pieces that comprise the Oskar Reinhart Collection and which are usually on display at the public patron's former villa in Switzerland. Here is a very special opportunity to see some of the most important works in that amazing collection and to consider the developments in European art from Goya through to the early Picasso. The first gallery presents the antecedents of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism with some stunning examples from the likes of Goya, Géricault and Courbet, while the second room has work by Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Picasso among others. It is a truly breathtaking introduction to the collection and an opportunity to see works that have never previously been displayed in this country. From Goya's darkly symbolic still life of salmon steaks, to Courbet's slyly provocative The Hammock (1844) and powerful depiction of nature in The Wave (1870) through such pieces as Daumier's Don Quixote and Sancho Panza (c. 1865-1870) we see the important influences that informed the later artists' work. Thematically connecting the two spaces in the show are paintings and watercolours by Cézanne whom both Reinhart and his contemporary collector, Samuel Courtauld, championed. This exhibition is simply a series of highlights. Whether it is Toulouse-Lautrec's challenging portrait of The Clowness Cha-U-Kao (1895) or Monet's idyllic The Break up of Ice on the Seine (1880-1881) this selection of work gives new meaning to the rather tired phrase "a feast for the eye." If you have not yet visited Reinhart's museum, "Am Römerholz" in Switzerland, this array of visual masterpieces is likely to prove an irresistible invitation.

Rated: ★★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Image: Vincent van Gogh, The Courtyard of the Hospital in Arles, 1889. The Swiss Confederation, Federal Office of Culture, Oskar Reinhart Collection "Am Römerholz", Winterthur

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN, UK

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