London Hidden Treasure -- Courtauld Art Institute
London is a great city for art. With the Tates (Britain and Modern), The National Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, The British Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London offers more than most visitors could reasonably hope to see.But one of London's most rewarding art galleries isn't even on most traveler's radar, much less their short list. The Courtauld Institute of Art has one of the finest collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings in the world. And it's conveniently located in Somerset House on the banks of the Thames near Waterloo Bridge.
There are works by Botticelli, Rubens, and Goya. But most visitors come to see the paintings of Monet, Renoir, Gauguin, Degas, Manet, Cezanne, van Gogh, and Matisse. In addition to the wonderful permanent collection, the Institute also displays temporary exhibitions. Renoir at the Theatre runs through May 26. The Courtauld Cezannes runs from June 26 to October 5, 2008.
The scale of the gallery means you can "do" it in a fraction of time you'd spend at the biggies. And it's walking distance from Covent Garden or the South Bank Complex.
For more information, visit http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/index.html
