You searched for van gogh - ĢƵ / Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:52:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 ĢƵ Institute named best for Art History in latest QS Global rankings /courtauld-institute-named-best-for-art-history-in-qs-global-rankings/ Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:43:46 +0000 /?page_id=168160 The post ĢƵ Institute named best for Art History in latest QS Global rankings appeared first on ĢƵ.

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The ĢƵ Instituteis theworld’stop institutionfor the study ofHistory of Art, according to theQS World University Rankings 2026published today, Wednesday 25 March 2026.

The ĢƵ secured the number one spot out offiftyprestigiousinstitutions worldwide.This outstanding achievementreflectsthe ĢƵ’slong-standingposition as a leading global centre for the visual arts, with an unwavering commitment to delivering academic excellenceand acutting-edgecurriculum.

The ĢƵ, founded in 1932 by philanthropist and collector Samuel ĢƵ,is an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history,conservationand curation, and is home to one of the world’s greatest art collections.

The QS World University Rankings serve as a highly regarded source of comparative data on university performance, evaluating institutions on five indicators: academic and employer reputation, research citations per paper, H-index, and international research network.

Thenumber oneworldranking followsthe announcement ofthe ĢƵ’s plan to create a newstate-of-the-artcampus at Somerset House in London, set to open in 2029. This major milestone in the ĢƵ’s history will see atransformation and expansion of its historic Grade I listed buildingin the North Wing of Somerset House, includingflexible, modern teaching spaces, a new lecture theatre, and a spectacular library within Somerset House’s historic subterranean vaults.The new campus will open directly onto the Strand, connecting the ĢƵ to an exciting new cultural and intellectual quarter in the heart of the city, alongside its partner King’s College London.

The development comes at a time when the ĢƵ is expanding into new areas of teaching and research, increasing its focus on global geographies such as the Americas, the Africandiasporaand the arts of Asia. The ĢƵ has also recently launched a series of new MA programmes, including an MAArtBusiness andMACurating, as itseeksto meet the evolving needs of students and the professional art world.

The ĢƵalsoannounced a commitment to work with national education and philanthropic partners to broaden access to art history for secondary school children in the UK in the lead-up to the opening of the new campus,enrichingthe ĢƵ’s existing work in broadening access to its collection and teaching for young people.

The new campus project is made possible through the recent visionary gift from the Reuben Foundation and the generous long-standing support of the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Additional transformational support is provided by the Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation, the Clore Duffield Foundation, the Garfield Weston Foundation, Oak Foundation, The Julia Rausing Trust, Rothschild Foundation, Georgia and David Winter and the Wolfson Foundation. The ĢƵ is most grateful to these foundational supporters, alongside others who have already committed to the redevelopment of our home at Somerset House.

ProfessorMark Hallett, Märit Rausing Director ofthe ĢƵ, said:“This ranking by QS is a testament to the dedication, excellence,and enthusiasm of our faculty, staffand students and the extraordinary impactthe ĢƵ has on the wider arts and culture sector. Asthe ĢƵ approaches its centenary, we are continuing to push the boundaries of research and teaching andare deeply committed toexpandingaccess to art history across theUKand beyond, building on Samuel ĢƵ’s founding mission of ‘art for all’”.

Find out more about the.

Download the press release

QS 2026 Rankings Press Release final

Media Contacts:

Bolton & Quinn 
erica@boltonquinn.com
0207 221 5000
07711 698 186 

dzܰٲܱ 
/about-us/press-office/
media@courtauld.ac.uk į

Notes to Editors: 

dzܰٲܱ 
The ĢƵ works to advance how we see and understand the visual arts, as an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history and a major public gallery. Founded by collectors and philanthropists in 1932, the organisation has been at the forefront of the study of art ever since through advanced research and conservation practice, innovative teaching, the renowned collection and inspiring exhibitions of its gallery, and engaging and accessible activities, education and events. 

The ĢƵ Gallery cares for one of the greatest art collections in the UK, presenting these works to the public at the ĢƵ Gallery in central London, as well as through loans and partnerships. The Gallery is most famous for its iconic Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces – such as Van Gogh’sSelf-Portrait with Bandaged Earand Manet’sA Bar at theFolies-Bergère. It showcases these alongside an internationally renowned collection of works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the present day. 

Academically, the ĢƵ Institute is the largest community of art historians and conservators in the UK, teaching and conducting research on subjects ranging from creativity in late Antiquity to contemporary digital art forms – with an increasingly global focus. An independent college of the University of London, the ĢƵ offers a range of degree programmes from BA to PhD in the History of Art, curating, art and business and the conservation of easel and wall paintings. Its alumni are leaders and innovators in the arts, culture and business worlds, helping to shape the global agenda for the arts and creative industries. 

Founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art, the ĢƵ works to increase understanding of the role of art throughout history, across all societies and geographies, and to champion its importance in the present day. This could be through exhibitions offering a chance to look closely at world-famous works; events bringing art history research to new audiences; accessible short courses; digital engagement, innovative school, family, and community programmes; or taking a formal qualification. The ĢƵ’s ambition is to transform access to art history education, ensuring as many people as possible can benefit from the tools it offers to better understand the visual world around us. 

The ĢƵ is an exempt charity and relies on generous philanthropic support to achieve its mission of advancing the understanding of the visual arts of the past and present across the world through advanced research, innovative teaching, inspiring exhibitions, programmes and collections. 

The collection cared for by the ĢƵ Gallery is owned by the Samuel ĢƵ Trust. 

The post ĢƵ Institute named best for Art History in latest QS Global rankings appeared first on ĢƵ.

]]> The ĢƵ Gallery presents first Barbara Hepworth exhibition devoted to her work with colour /about-us/press-office/press-releases/the-courtauld-gallery-presents-first-barbara-hepworth-exhibition-devoted-to-her-work-with-colour/ Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:43:00 +0000 /?page_id=167847 The post The ĢƵ Gallery presents first Barbara Hepworth exhibition devoted to her work with colour appeared first on ĢƵ.

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Press images:

The ĢƵ Gallery will present the first exhibition devoted to Barbara Hepworth’s lifelong fascination with colour, shedding light on an unexpected and unexplored aspect of the work of one of the most celebrated British artists of the 20th century.

Barbara Hepworth (1903 – 1975) is best known for her abstract sculptures inspired by nature and the rugged seaside landscapes of Cornwall where she lived and worked from 1939. Throughout her life she emphasised the primacy of direct carving and adhered to the ethos of ‘truth to materials’. Discussing her innovative use of colour with her son-in-law, the art historian Sir Alan Bowness, she said: “In a way my colour has been accepted but never understood.”

Bringing together some 20 sculptures and 30 drawings and paintings, The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition: Hepworth in Colour will be the first exhibition to focus on this important but often overlooked aspect of her work.

Hepworth’s early interest in colour dates to the mid-1930s, when she and her future husband, Ben Nicholson, formed part of the European avant-garde. When in 1939, days before the outbreak of the Second World War, she left London for Cornwall with her three young children, Hepworth took with her a single sculpture – her first study for a sculpture with colour. Over the coming years, the landscape of Cornwall inspired her to develop this initial experiment, taking her work in new directions and establishing a lifelong fascination with colour.

At the heart of the exhibition will be the remarkable group of painted sculptures which Hepworth made between 1940 and 1948. She later recalled how, “I used colour and strings in many of the carvings of this time. The colour in the concavities plunged me into the depths of water, caves or shallows…”. These early works include the boldly painted stone carvings Eidos (1947-8) from the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia and Eos (1946) from a private collection in Hong Kong. They are exhibited together in the UK for the first time since 1954.

A major highlight of the exhibition will be the painted wood carving, Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form), Pale Blue and Red (1943), which was acquired for the nation by The Hepworth Wakefield in 2025 following the successful national fundraising campaign in collaboration with Art Fund to raise £3.8 million. Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form), Pale Blue and Red marked a breakthrough moment in Hepworth’s career, combining strings and colour and, for the first time, the beautiful pale blue associated with the Cornish skies and coast. In private hands since it was created, and rarely exhibited, this will be the first time the sculpture is displayed in London since it was acquired. For Hepworth the strings in her early sculptures ‘were the tension I felt between myself and the sea, the wind or the hill’.

Other seminal painted stringed sculptures in the exhibition include Wave, 1943-44, from the National Galleries of Scotland and Pelagos (‘sea’ in Greek), 1946 from Tate, which was inspired by the bay in St Ives in Cornwall. The exhibition also unites for the first time from private and public collections the six progressively larger versions of the stringed Sculpture with Colour (Deep Blue and Red).

Alongside sculptures, the exhibition features a rich selection of Hepworth’s drawings with colour. Hepworth lacked the materials, studio space and time to produce much sculpture during the first years of the war but her drawings allowed her to continue to explore and develop her ideas. She recalled, ‘In the late evenings, and during the night I did innumerable drawings…exploring the particular tensions and relationships of form and colour which were to occupy me in sculpture during the later years of the war.’ These drawings, usually entitled ‘drawing for sculpture’ are striking for their intricate crystalline forms, punctuated with strong blues, greens, reds and yellows.

The exhibition extends into the 1950s and 1960s to reflect how colour continued to occupy Hepworth in new ways, including in her expressive paintings of the mid and late 1950s, and in her work with patinated bronze and painted marbles.

To coincide with the exhibition, a display of photographs of Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson’s shared London studio at No. 7 the Mall Studios in Hampstead will be presented in the Project Space. Taken between 1932 and 1936 by Paul Laib (1869–1958), these are among the most evocative studio images to emerge in Britain during the 20th century and show the fascinating interrelation of their practices at this time.

The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition: Hepworth in Colour is accompanied by a new catalogue, edited by Dr Alexandra Gerstein, Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the ĢƵ and Stephen Feeke, with essays by Alexandra Gerstein, Stephen Feeke, David Batchelor, Eleanor Clayton and Kirstie Dootson.

The exhibition’s Title Sponsor is Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP. The exhibition’s Lead Supporter is the Huo Family Foundation, with Support from Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne.

The Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen Exhibition:
Hepworth in Colour
12 June – 6 September 2026
Denise Coates Exhibition Galleries, Floor 3
/whats-on/exh-hepworth-in-colour/

Hepworth and Nicholson: The Hampstead Studio Photographs
6 June – 4 October 2026
Project Space, Floor 2
/exh/hepworth-and-nicholson-the-hampstead-studio-photographs/

Download Press Release

Hepworth in Colour Press Release March 2026

MEDIA CONTACTS

ĢƵ

media@courtauld.ac.uk

Bolton & Quinn
Erica Bolton |erica@boltonquinn.com| +44 (0)20 7221 5000
Daisy Taylor |daisy@boltonquinn.com | +44 (0)20 7221 5000

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NOTES TO EDITORS

About the ĢƵ
The ĢƵ works to advance how we see and understand the visual arts, as an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history and a major public gallery. Founded by collectors and philanthropists in 1932, the organisation has been at the forefront of the study of art ever since through advanced research and conservation practice, innovative teaching, the renowned collection and inspiring exhibitions of its gallery, and engaging and accessible activities, education and events.

The ĢƵ Gallery cares for one of the greatest art collections in the UK, presenting these works to the public at the ĢƵ Gallery in central London, as well as through loans and partnerships. The Gallery is most famous for its iconic Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces – such as Van Gogh’sSelf-Portrait with Bandaged Earand Manet’sA Bar at the Folies-Bergère. It showcases these alongside an internationally renowned collection of works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the present day.

Academically, the ĢƵ Institute is the largest community of art historians and conservators in the UK, teaching and conducting research on subjects ranging from creativity in late Antiquity to contemporary digital art forms – with an increasingly global focus. An independent college of the University of London, the ĢƵ offers a range of degree programmes from BA to PhD in the History of Art, curating, art and business and the conservation of easel and wall paintings. Its alumni are leaders and innovators in the arts,cultureand business worlds, helping to shape the global agenda for the arts and creative industries.

Founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art, the ĢƵ works to increase understanding of the role of art throughout history, across all societies and geographies, and to champion its importance in the present day. This could be through exhibitions offering a chance to look closely at world-famous works; events bringing art history research to new audiences; accessible short courses; digital engagement, innovative school, family, and community programmes; or taking a formal qualification. The ĢƵ’s ambition is to transform access to art history education, ensuring as many people as possible can benefit from the tools it offers to better understand the visual world around us.

The ĢƵ is an exempt charity and relies on generous philanthropic support to achieve its mission of advancing the understanding of the visual arts of the past and present across the world through advanced research, innovative teaching, inspiring exhibitions, programmes and collections.

The collection cared for by the ĢƵ Gallery is owned by the Samuel ĢƵ Trust.

About Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP
Joseph Hage Aaronson & Bremen LLP (JHAB) is an elite dispute resolution and advisory law firm based in London. Established by barristers Joe Hage and Graham Aaronson KC in 2013, the firm uniquely integrates the expertise of leading solicitors and barristers, as well as specialist accountants and data scientists, to provide comprehensive solutions to complex legal challenges. We have an international client base that ranges from ultra-high net worth individuals and trusts to publicly listed blue-chip companies, foreign government entities and the world’s largest funds.

About Huo Family Foundation
The Huo Family Foundation is a grant-giving foundation based in London. Its mission is to support education, communities and the pursuit of knowledge. Its current areas of focus are education; the arts; and science. Through its donations, the Foundation hopes to improve the prospects of individuals, and to support the work of organisations seeking to ensure a safe and successful future for all society. The Foundation aims to make art more accessible to all through its support for galleries, museums and centres for the performing arts. For more information,

 

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]]> The ĢƵ Summer School Essay Competition /short-courses-2026/students-voices-students-work/the-courtauld-summer-school-essay-competition/ Fri, 13 Feb 2026 15:54:41 +0000 /?page_id=166555 The post The ĢƵ Summer School Essay Competition appeared first on ĢƵ.

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In the summer of 2025, we decided to host an essay competition open to all Summer School students, and the question we put to our students was this one:

Is studying art history like Nero fiddling while Rome Burns? In other words: What Impact does the ĢƵ of Art History have on the World Today?

Students responded with enthusiasm, and we were able to select two runners-up and a final winner, whose entry you can read below.

We hope to run the essay competition once more in Summer School 2026.

Summer School Student Emily Doswell

Summer School Essay Competition 2025 Winner: Emily Doswell

Is studying art history like Nero fiddling while Rome Burns? In other words: What Impact does the ĢƵ of Art History have on the World Today?

On the 24th February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. In October the following year, Hamas-led militant groups launched an attack on Israel, in which just under 1200 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, triggering the Hamas-Israeli war. In September 2024, when famines were announced in Gaza and the Sudan, I began my A level study into History of Art. In the light of such world suffering, there is validity in questioning the relevance of such a course. However, it is precisely in such a context that the importance of Art and the study of Art History becomes more precious. The official website of Ukraine recognises, amid the struggle that Art generated during the conflict, conveys an important message and acts as a powerful tool to help Ukrainians share their emotions and personal narrative. A series of illustrations on the site, by a 15-year-old Ukrainian girl, depicts her family; a mother, a wife, a daughter, dealing with the loss of their son, husband and father; a Ukrainian soldier, a casualty in the war. His jacket, unworn, over the back of a chair depicts for future generations the human face of the suffering. It is a conduit to understand her loss. Over the centuries, Art has recorded human conflict and suffering. From the fractured chaos of Guernica to the impasto of Van Gogh, works that do not soothe; but act to expose frightful struggle; shared tragedy in art, acting as reminder to avoid repetition. Even within everyday education however, this study is increasingly important. As ChatGPT degrees and AI-generated images enter public use, the need for original thought fades. It’s not just the death of art that is at risk, it’s the very act of thinking. Where any book can be summarised and any equation solved, art remains the only thing in resistance to passive consumption. Art History teaches us to examine the visual, not just look. I am taught to confront, analyse and absorb pieces in ways that exhaust me. This act is something I am unable to cheat at. Art History is a window into power, resistance, pain, and most often, ecstatic beauty. ĢƵing art is equivalent to empathising, an act where you look at the world through another’s eyes and feel as they would. Even our machines analyze the past to shape their algorithms and responses, therefore it’s naive to think we can face the future without learning from those who came before us. To confront human experience and live, we must hold on to what is innately human, and since that quality is increasingly rare today, we must turn to art.

The post The ĢƵ Summer School Essay Competition appeared first on ĢƵ.

]]> First ever exhibition devoted to Georges Seurat’s seascapes opens at the ĢƵ Gallery /news-blogs/2026/first-ever-exhibition-devoted-to-the-seascapes-of-georges-seurat-opens-at-the-courtauld-gallery/ Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:10:29 +0000 /?p=166139 The post First ever exhibition devoted to Georges Seurat’s seascapes opens at the ĢƵ Gallery appeared first on ĢƵ.

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The ĢƵ Gallery presents the first-ever exhibition devoted to the seascapes of French painter Georges Seurat (1859-1891) from 13 February to 17 May 2026.

The first UK exhibition devoted to Seurat in almost 30 years,The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Seabrings together the largest group of these works ever assembled, 26 in total, offering a detailed look at a significant part of Seurat’s production.

Seurat is best known for developing a radical new technique of painting with dots of pure colour, which gave birth to Neo-Impressionism. This exhibition charts the evolution of Seurat’s highly original and distinctive style through the recurring motif of the sea, reuniting for the first time a major group of 26 works — paintings, oilsketches and drawings— created over five summer trips to the northern coast of France between 1885 and 1890. A particular highlight is the presentation of the complete series of paintings made in Port-en-Bessin in 1888 and Gravelines in 1890.

Due to his early death at the age of 31, Seurat has a very small body of works and exhibitions devoted to him are rare. Over the course of his short career, he produced more views of the Channel coast than any other type of picture. Working along the coast, in Grandcamp, Honfleur, Port-en-Bessin, Le Crotoy, and Gravelines, Seurat captured views out to sea as well as of harbours and ports. They show a different side to an artist better known for paintings of leisure in Paris and its suburbs. In contrast, these quiet and contemplative seascapes are an exploration of light in open spaces often devoid of people. They represented for Seurat a return to nature that enabled him to develop his technique. He sought, in his words:

A painting of Seascape at Port-en-Bessin, Normandy, a green cliff overlooking the blue sea with clouds in the sky
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), Seascape at Port-en-Bessin, Normandy, 1888, oil on canvas. Gift of the W. Averell Harriman Foundation in memory of Marie N. Harriman, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Pointillist view of the Channel at Gravelines, showing the Petit-Fort Philippe shoreline with sandy banks, calm water, and distant structures, bathed in soft light and rendered in small, evenly spaced dots of blue, green, and warm earth tones.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), The Channel at Gravelines, Petit-Fort Philippe, 1890, oil on canvas, Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Mrs. James W. Fesler in memory of Daniel W. and Elizabeth C. Marmon, 45.195. Image courtesy of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
Pointillist seascape showing the harbor at Gravelines at evening, with calm water, breakwaters, and thin ship masts silhouetted against a softly glowing sunset sky, rendered in small, luminous dots of colour.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), The Channel at Gravelines, Evening, 1890, oil on canvas, The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William A. M. Burden, 1963, Digital image, The Museum of Modern Art, New York/Scala, Florence.
Pointillist coastal scene of Port-en-Bessin at low tide, with fishing boats resting in a quiet outer harbor, exposed shoreline and docks in the foreground, and calm sea and sky built from small, precise dots of muted blues, greens, and earth tones.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), Port-en-Bessin, Outer Harbour Low Tide, 1888, oil on canvas, Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase. Image: Saint Louis Art Museum
Pointillist harbor scene at Port-en-Bessin, with steep cliffs framing a narrow inlet, small fishing boats moored on calm water, and figures and buildings along the shore, all constructed from dense dots of blue, green, and ochre.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), Port-en-Bessin, 1888, oil on canvas, lent by the Minneapolis Institute of Art, The William Hood Dunwoody Fund. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Art
Pointillist beach scene at Bas Butin in Honfleur, with gently sloping sand, small figures along the shoreline, calm sea, and a pale sky, rendered in delicate dots of blues, creams, and soft pastels.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), Beach at Bas Butin, Honfleur, 1886, Oil on canvas, Collection du Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Tournai, Image courtesy Musée des Beaux-Arts, Tournai.
Georges Seurat, (1859-1891), Le Bec du Hoc, Grandcamp, 1885, Tate/ Tate images
Georges Seurat's
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), The Lighthouse at Honfleur, 1886, oil on canvas, 66.7 x 81.9cm. Collection of Mr. And Mrs. Paul Mellon, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
‘to cleanse one’s eyes of the days spent in the studio [in Paris] and translate in the most faithful manner the bright light, in all its nuances’
Georges Seurat

This exhibition includes loans from major private collections and public institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia; the Baltimore Museum of Art; the Indianapolis Museum of Art; the Minneapolis Institute of Art; the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City; the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; the Musée d’Orsay, Paris; the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Tournai; the Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo; the National Gallery, Prague; Tate, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the National Gallery, London.

Due to unprecedented demand, the ĢƵ has extended its opening hours on every Friday evening until 20:00 throughout the run ofThe Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea, to ensure visitors do not miss out. Late night opening tickets are now on sale to ĢƵ Members from Friday 13 February, 10:00 and to the public on Monday 16 February, 10:00.

There will be two relaxed exhibition openings on Wednesday 8 April and Tuesday 5 May 2026 between 10:00 and 10:30. Our relaxed openings provide a quieter moment to enjoy the exhibition, with additional support and facilities from our friendly team.

The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea follows major Impressionist exhibitions at the ĢƵ Gallery, includingThe Morgan Stanley Exhibition: Van Gogh. Self-Portraits and, most recently,The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Monet and London. Views of the Thames, which was seen by a record 120,000 visitors.

The exhibition is accompanied by a , showcasing the results of research on Seurat’s seascapes and their importance in his ouvre, which is now available to and in-store.

The exhibition’s Title Supporter is Griffin Catalyst, the civic engagement initiative of Citadel Founder and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin.

Book your tickets now

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ĢƵ Gallery Exhibitions

Seurat and the Sea

13 Feb – 17 May 2026

★★★★★ “Tremendous” – The Guardian; ★★★★★ “Pure joy” – The London Standard. Experience the first ever exhibition dedicated to the seascapes of the French artist Georges Seurat.

Plan your visit

Find all the information you need ahead of your visit to The ĢƵ Gallery from admission prices to how to get here and more.

The post First ever exhibition devoted to Georges Seurat’s seascapes opens at the ĢƵ Gallery appeared first on ĢƵ.

]]> First exhibition devoted to the seascapes of Georges Seurat opens at the ĢƵ Gallery /about-us/press-office/press-releases/first-exhibition-devoted-to-the-seascapes-of-georges-seurat-opens-at-the-courtauld-gallery/ Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:09:46 +0000 /?page_id=166163 The post First exhibition devoted to the seascapes of Georges Seurat opens at the ĢƵ Gallery appeared first on ĢƵ.

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Download press images, here:

The ĢƵ Gallery presents the first-ever exhibition devoted to the seascapes of French painter Georges Seurat (1859–1891) from 13 February to 17 May 2026. The first UK exhibition devoted to Seurat in almost 30 years, The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea brings together the largest group of these works ever assembled, 26 in total, offering a detailed look at a significant part of Seurat’s production.

Seurat is best known for developing a radical new technique of painting with dots of pure colour, which gave birth to Neo-Impressionism. This exhibition charts the evolution of Seurat’s highly original and distinctive style through the recurring motif of the sea, reuniting for the first time a major group of 26 works—paintings, oil sketches and drawings—created over five summer trips to the northern coast of France between 1885 and 1890. A particular highlight is the presentation of the complete series of paintings made in Port-en-Bessin in 1888 and Gravelines in 1890.

Due to his early death at the age of 31, Seurat has a very small body of works and exhibitions devoted to him are rare. Over the course of his short career, he produced more views of the Channel coast than any other type of picture. Working along the coast, in Grandcamp, Honfleur, Port-en-Bessin, Le Crotoy and Gravelines, Seurat captured views out to sea as well as of harbours and ports. They show a different side to an artist better known for paintings of leisure in Paris and its suburbs. In contrast, these quiet and contemplative seascapes are an exploration of light in open spaces often devoid of people. They represented for Seurat a return to nature that enabled him to develop his technique. He sought, in his words, ‘to cleanse one’s eyes of the days spent in the studio [in Paris] and translate in the most faithful manner the bright light, in all its nuances’.

This exhibition includes loans from major private collections and public institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia; the Baltimore Museum of Art; the Indianapolis Museum of Art; the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City; the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; the Musée d’Orsay Paris; the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Tournai; the Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo; the National Gallery, Prague; Tate, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the National Gallery, London.

Due to unprecedented demand, the ĢƵ has extended its opening hours on every Friday evening until 8pm throughout the run ofThe Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea, to ensure visitors do not miss out. Late night opening tickets go on sale to ĢƵ Members on Friday 13 February, 10:00and to the public on Monday 16 February, 10:00.

The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea follows major Impressionist exhibitions at the ĢƵ Gallery, such as The Morgan Stanley Exhibition: Van Gogh. Self-Portraits and, most recently, the acclaimed The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Monet and London. Views of the Thames, which was seen by a record 120,000 visitors.

The exhibition is accompanied by a beautifully illustrated catalogue, showcasing the results of research on Seurat’s seascapes and their importance in his oeuvre.

The exhibition’s Title Supporter is Griffin Catalyst, the civic engagement initiative of Citadel Founder and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin.

The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea
13 February – 17 May 2026
/whats-on/exh-seurat-and-the-sea/

Tickets for 13 April – 17 May are on sale to ĢƵ Members from Friday 13 February, 10:00, and to the public on Monday 16 February, 10:00.

ĢƵ Members can enjoy the exhibition without the crowds at a preview on Thursday 12 February, 14:00 – 18:00, and also get free unlimited entry to all exhibitions, access to presale tickets, priority booking to selected events, advance notice of art history short courses, exclusive events, discounts and more. Join at courtauld.ac.uk/friends

Relaxed openings
There will be two relaxed exhibition openings on Wednesday 8 April and Tuesday 5 May 2026 between 10:00 – 10:30. Our relaxed openings provide a quieter moment to enjoy the exhibition, with additional support and facilities from our friendly team.

ĢƵ Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN
Opening hours: 10.00 – 18.00 (last entry 17.15), and until 20:00

Temporary Exhibition tickets (including entry to our Permanent Collection and displays) – Tickets from £18. Friends and Under-18s go free. Other concessions available.

Download Press Release

Seurat and the Sea Press Release – Feb 2026 FINAL

MEDIA CONTACTS

ĢƵ

media@courtauld.ac.uk

Bolton & Quinn
Erica Bolton | erica@boltonquinn.com | +44 (0)20 7221 5000
Daisy Taylor | daisy@boltonquinn.com | +44 (0)20 7221 5000

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NOTES TO EDITORS

ĢƵ
The ĢƵ works to advance how we see and understand the visual arts, as an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history and a major public gallery. Founded by collectors and philanthropists in 1932, the organisation has been at the forefront of the study of art ever since through advanced research and conservation practice, innovative teaching, the renowned collection and inspiring exhibitions of its gallery, and engaging and accessible activities, education and events.

The ĢƵ Gallery cares for one of the greatest art collections in the UK, presenting these works to the public at the ĢƵ Gallery in central London, as well as through loans and partnerships. The Gallery is most famous for its iconic Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces – such as Van Gogh’sSelf-Portrait with Bandaged Earand Manet’sA Bar at the Folies-Bergère. It showcases these alongside an internationally renowned collection of works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the present day.

Academically, the ĢƵ Institute is the largest community of art historians and conservators in the UK, teaching and conducting research on subjects ranging from creativity in late Antiquity to contemporary digital art forms – with an increasingly global focus. An independent college of the University of London, the ĢƵ offers a range of degree programmes from BA to PhD in the History of Art, curating, art and business and the conservation of easel and wall paintings. Its alumni are leaders and innovators in the arts, culture and business worlds, helping to shape the global agenda for the arts and creative industries.

Founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art, the ĢƵ works to increase understanding of the role of art throughout history, across all societies and geographies, and to champion its importance in the present day. This could be through exhibitions offering a chance to look closely at world-famous works; events bringing art history research to new audiences; accessible short courses; digital engagement, innovative school, family, and community programmes; or taking a formal qualification. The ĢƵ’s ambition is to transform access to art history education, ensuring as many people as possible can benefit from the tools it offers to better understand the visual world around us.

The ĢƵ is an exempt charity and relies on generous philanthropic support to achieve its mission of advancing the understanding of the visual arts of the past and present across the world through advanced research, innovative teaching, inspiring exhibitions, programmes and collections.

The collection cared for by the ĢƵ Gallery is owned by the Samuel ĢƵ Trust.

About Griffin Catalyst
Griffin Catalyst is the civic engagement initiative of Citadel founder and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin, encompassing his philanthropic and community impact efforts. Tackling the world’s greatest challenges in innovative, action-oriented, and evidence-driven ways, Griffin Catalyst is dedicated to expanding opportunity and improving lives across six areas of focus: Education, Science & Medicine, Upward Mobility, Freedom & Democracy, Enterprise & Innovation, and Communities. For more information, visit griffincatalyst.org.

The post First exhibition devoted to the seascapes of Georges Seurat opens at the ĢƵ Gallery appeared first on ĢƵ.

]]> A-Level Art History Classes Offer /take-part/schools/a-level-art-history-classes-offer/ Mon, 02 Feb 2026 13:52:36 +0000 /?page_id=165231 We offer free workshops, seminars and gallery tours to state school/colleges classes studying A-Level Art History or A-Level Critical & Contextual Studies.

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A-Level Art History Classes Offer

We offer bespoke workshops to state school/college classes offering A-Level Art History or A-Level Critical & Contextual studies. Classes are allowed one of the following options below, per year, free of charge.

If the below doesn’t meet your requirements, please drop us an e-mail (at learning@courtauld.ac.uk), we are always keen to develop our offer in ways that can support your curriculum.

Work with students? Why not sign up to our here to learn more about our one-off events including our popular teacher workshops.

For bookings please e-mail:learning@courtauld.ac.uk

Visit the gallery

  • Gallery Tours – Bring your class for a guided tour of the ĢƵ collection. We offer highlight tours, or specific tours focusing on an aspect of the collection, such as Impressionism, identity or gender. Tours are led by our experienced gallery educators who encourage engagement through active looking. Tours last between 1hr – 2hrs and can be request Monday to Friday.
  • Our 19th Century Research Day see students tour the ĢƵ collection and highlights from the ĢƵ’s Prints & Drawings department, before breaking into groups to devise their own short presentation about an artwork they have chosen. Groups will then present their research in front of the artwork in the gallery, supported by ĢƵ staff. Timings: 10am-2:30pm but can be adjusted. Usually available Tuesday and Friday, subject to availability.
  • Our University taster Day looks at the theme of Modern Life, Art, and the City. Students will take part in an interactive tour of the gallery, a seminar taster led by a current PhD student and a trip to the Prints and Drawings department. Timings: 10am-2:30pm but can be adjusted. Usually available Tuesday and Friday, subject to availability.
Two students looking at two drawings. Part of the summer university programme. Summer University 2023 attendees, taking part in a Prints & Drawings department workshop.
A student looking animated while in a seminar. Student taking part in the ĢƵ’s Summer University programme, ran by the ĢƵ’s Learning Team

In your classroom

  • Art History Seminar – Led by a ĢƵ PhD student, your students can take part in an Art History seminar taster which aims to encourage students to develop their voice through discussion. Our seminars offer a range of topics, from identity and portraiture, to gender and architecture. Sessions feature a short reading before your visit for a true seminar experience. Seminars last around 1hr and are usually available Monday – Friday, subject to PhD student availability.
  • Have a current ĢƵ student visit your school to talk about their experiences of studying Art History at the ĢƵ. Our ĢƵing at the ĢƵ presentation will look at student life, living in London and feature some highlights from the students’ studies. Talks last between 15-45mins, and are usually available Monday through to Friday, subject to availability.
  • Themed workshops on the following subjects:
    Sense of Self (focusing on Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889)
    Reworking Manet (focusing on Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, 1882)
    A hidden history of colour (What can colours tell us about the past)
    Impressionism (key concepts and timeframes for the Impressionist movement)
    Workshops last between 1hr – 2hrs and can be requested for Monday to Friday. Sessions can be delivered online or in-person.
Don’t teach Art History A-Level? Check out our offer for Year 12/13 classes here

Learning Resources

We have short Focus resources which look in detail at single artworks along with more in depth resources to help you plan and deliver exciting projects…

The post A-Level Art History Classes Offer appeared first on ĢƵ.

]]> Year 12/13 (or equivalent) offer /take-part/schools/year-12-13/ Mon, 02 Feb 2026 13:48:47 +0000 /?page_id=165227 We offer free workshops and gallery tours to state school/college classes wishing to embed Art History into their curriculum.

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We offer free workshops and gallery tours to state school/college classes wishing to embed Art History into their curriculum. Please see below our Year 12/13 (or equivalent) offer.

If the below doesn’t meet your requirements, please drop us an e-mail (at learning@courtauld.ac.uk), we are always keen to develop our offer in ways that can support your curriculum.

Work with students? Why not sign up to our here to learn more about our one-off events including our popular teacher workshops.

For bookings please e-mail: learning@courtauld.ac.uk

Visit the Gallery

  • Gallery Tours – Bring your class for a guided tour of the ĢƵ Gallery. We offer highlight tours, or specific tours focusing on an aspect of the collection, such as Impressionism, identity or gender. Tours are led by our experienced gallery educators who encourage engagement through active looking. Tours last between 1hr – 2hrs and can be requested Monday to Friday.

  • Prints and Drawings – Take your students behind the scenes with a visit to the ĢƵ’s Prints and Drawings Get up close with a selection of artworks which aren’t usually on display due to their sensitivity to light. Visits usually last 30 minutes and are available Tuesday and Friday, subject to availability.

  • Seminar Taster – Led by a ĢƵ PhD student, your students can take part in an Art History seminar taster, which aims to encourage students to develop their voice through discussion. Our seminars are usually themed around cities and can feature a short reading before your visit for a true seminar experience. Seminars last around 1hr and are usually available Tuesday and Friday, subject to availability.
Van Gogh workshop attendees. Insights into Art History 2025. (c) Learning Centre.
Students in a classroom within their school watch a ĢƵ Learning Team educator present on a projector screen, In-school workshop. Learning Team at the ĢƵ 2024. © Learning Team

In your classroom

  • Introduction to Art History – Our most popular in-school workshop supports students in understanding the key components to deconstructing and discovering meaning behind an artwork. Using the ĢƵ Collection and connected contemporary artworks, students will develop their visual analysis skills through this interactive workshop. Workshops last between 1hr – 2hrs and can be requested for Monday to Friday.
  • The ĢƵ Collection – Bring the gallery to your classroom with a workshop looking at the ĢƵ’s most famous artworks. From Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1882) to Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889).
  • Themed workshops on the following subjects:
    Sense of Self (A session focusing on Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889)
    Reworking Manet (A session focusing on Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, 1882)
    A hidden history of colour (What can colours tell us about the past)
    Impressionism (key concepts and timeframes for the Impressionist movement)
    Workshops last between 1hr – 2hrs and can be requested for Monday to Friday. Sessions can be delivered online or in-person.
Teach A-Level Art History class? Check out our focused offer

Young People (16-18)

The ĢƵ’s Young People’s Programme offers an exciting series of free workshops, courses and events for young people aged 16-18 to explore The ĢƵ Gallery Collection and engage with art history and art practice.

Learning Resources

We have short Focus resources which look in detail at single artworks along with more in depth resources to help you plan and deliver exciting projects…

The post Year 12/13 (or equivalent) offer appeared first on ĢƵ.

]]> The ĢƵ Gallery spotlights British Women Landscape Artists in new drawings exhibition /about-us/press-office/press-releases/the-courtauld-gallery-spotlights-british-women-landscape-artists-in-new-drawings-exhibition/ Wed, 28 Jan 2026 10:12:14 +0000 /?page_id=165385 The post The ĢƵ Gallery spotlights British Women Landscape Artists in new drawings exhibition appeared first on ĢƵ.

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To download press images visit:

The ĢƵ Gallery presents a new exhibition of landscape drawings and watercolours by women artists working in Britain between 1760 and 1860, shedding light on a new side of the Golden Age of British Landscape art.

When the Royal Academy was founded in 1768, its members included two women, yet there would not be another female academician until Dame Laura Knight was elected in 1936. Despite this institutional exclusion, women artists in Britain continued to train, practice, and exhibit during this period, particularly in the field of landscape watercolours.

The exhibition features 10 remarkable women artists who have remained mostly unknown and their works largely unpublished. They include Harriet Lister and Lady Mary Lowther, who were among the first to depict the Lake District; Amelia Long, Lady Farnborough, one of the first British artists to travel to France following the Napoleonic Wars; and Elizabeth Batty – whose works appearing in the show were only rediscovered a few years ago.

The twenty-four works on paper on display include recent acquisitions and promised gifts and form part of a project to extend and diversify the collection of British watercolours.

The display takes on special resonance at the ĢƵ Gallery in Somerset House, once the eighteenth-century home of the Royal Academy of Arts, where several of the featured artists including Amelia Long, Lady Farnborough, and Harriet Lister exhibited work.

A View of One’s Own: Landscapes by British Women Artists 1760-1860 is curated by Dr Rachel Sloan, Associate Curator for Works on Paper, and is accompanied by a new catalogue with contributions by Dr Susan Owens and Dr Paris Spies-Gans.

Entry to this exhibition is included with Gallery Entry.

A View of One’s Own: Landscapes by British Women Artists 1760-1860
28 January – 20 May 2026
Gilbert & Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery, Floor 1

Download Press Release

Download Press Release

MEDIA CONTACTS

ĢƵ


media@courtauld.ac.uk

Bolton & Quinn

Erica Bolton |erica@boltonquinn.com|+44 (0)20 7221 5000
Daisy Taylor |daisy@boltonquinn.com|+44 (0)20 7221 5000

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook @TheĢƵ
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ĢƵGallery
Somerset House, Strand
London WC2R 0RN

Opening hours: 10.00 – 18.00 (last entry 17.15)
Friends and Under-18s go free. Other concessions available.

Friends get free unlimited entry to theĢƵGallery and exhibitions,priority booking to selected events, advance notice of art history short courses, exclusive events, discounts and more. Join today atcourtauld.ac.uk/friends

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the ĢƵ

The ĢƵ works to advance how we see and understand the visual arts, as an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history and a major public gallery. Founded by collectors and philanthropists in 1932, the organisation has been at the forefront of the study of art ever since through advanced research and conservation practice, innovative teaching, the renowned collection and inspiring exhibitions of its gallery, and engaging and accessible activities, education and events.

The ĢƵ cares for one of the greatest art collections in the UK, presenting these works to the public at the ĢƵ Gallery in central London, as well as through loans and partnerships. The Gallery is most famous for its iconic Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces – such as Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère. It showcases these alongside an internationally renowned collection of works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the present day.

Academically, the ĢƵ faculty is the largest community of art historians and conservators in the UK, teaching and carrying out research on subjects from creativity in late Antiquity to contemporary digital artforms – with an increasingly global focus. An independent college of the University of London, the ĢƵ offers a range of degree programmes from BA to PhD in the History of Art, curating and the conservation of easel and wall paintings. Its alumni are leaders and innovators in the arts, culture and business worlds, helping to shape the global agenda for the arts and creative industries.

Founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art, the ĢƵ works to increase understanding of the role played by art throughout history, in all societies and across all geographies – as well as being a champion for the importance of art in the present day. This could be through exhibitions offering a chance to look closely at world-famous works; events bringing art history research to new audiences; accessible and expert short courses; digital engagement, innovative school, family and community programmes; or taking a formal qualification. The ĢƵ’s ambition is to transform access to art history education by extending the horizons of what this is and ensuring as many people as possible can benefit from the tools to better understand the visual world around us.

The ĢƵ is an exempt charity and relies on generous philanthropic support to achieve its mission of advancing the understanding of the visual arts of the past and present across the world through advanced research, innovative teaching, inspiring exhibitions, programmes and collections.

The collection cared for by the ĢƵ Gallery is owned by the Samuel ĢƵ Trust.

media@courtauld.ac.uk

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]]> ĢƵ announces new Contemporary Galleries at Somerset House /about-us/press-office/press-releases/courtauld-announces-new-contemporary-galleries-at-somerset-house/ Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:59:42 +0000 /?page_id=165330 The post ĢƵ announces new Contemporary Galleries at Somerset House appeared first on ĢƵ.

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For press images, please visit:

The ĢƵ today announced a new gift from the Blavatnik Family Foundation — bringing the Foundation’s total support for the institution to £20 million — supporting the creation of two new galleries dedicated to contemporary art. The galleries are expected to open in 2029 as part of the development of the ĢƵ’s new world-class campus at Somerset House.

The distinguished Blavatnik Family Foundation has supported the ĢƵ for many years: in the words of Lord Browne of Madingley, Chair of the ĢƵ’s Board of Trustees, “Sir Leonard and Lady Emily Blavatnik, and their Foundation, have been central to our recent history and success, and all of us at the ĢƵ want to thank them for their exceptional and continuing generosity.” The Blavatnik Fine Rooms opened in 2021 as part of the major redevelopment of the ĢƵ Gallery. This latest gift of £10m, which also includes the realisation of the Blavatnik Reading Room within the ĢƵ’s remodelled library, builds on that longstanding partnership.

The Blavatnik Contemporary Galleries will provide a distinctive space for visitors and students to experience contemporary art through special exhibitions, commissions, and events. Located on the top floor of the North Wing of Somerset House within the new ĢƵ Campus, the two new galleries restore a space designed in the 18th century as a display room for the Royal Society. They will be accessible to visitors via a dedicated entrance opposite the main Gallery entrance, providing full public access to the historic East Wing staircase. Since the transformation of its Gallery in 2021, completed by 2025 RIBA Stirling Prize-winning architects Witherford Watson Mann, the ĢƵ has significantly expanded its offering of contemporary art, including successful exhibitions dedicated to Peter Doig and Claudette Johnson, and a major commission by Cecily Brown. An annual commission for The John Browne Entrance Hall launched in 2025 with a pair of new works by Rachel Jones. The first European solo exhibition of acclaimed New York painter Salman Toor will open on 2 October 2026.

The Blavatnik Contemporary Galleries, which form part of the ĢƵ’s transformation of its historic Grade I listed building at Somerset House, will provide a space for working with

artists on new projects, championing original practice and offering fresh perspectives on the most compelling and influential developments in contemporary art. The galleries will also be a site for experimentation and collective learning for the students on the ĢƵ Institute’s MA in Curating, who will play a significant role in delivering the programme.

The new ĢƵ Campus, generously supported by the Reuben Foundation and other philanthropists, with a masterplan by Witherford Watson Mann and designed in collaboration with Purcell and Lawson Ward Studios, will see the creation of a flexible teaching, learning and creative environment which will reunite the Gallery, Institute and conservation studios under one roof and strengthen the ĢƵ’s position as a leading global centre for the visual arts.

Mark Hallett, Märit Rausing Director of the ĢƵ, said: “Sir Leonard and Lady Emily Blavatnik have been foundational supporters of the ĢƵ for many years, and we are thrilled that they share our excitement about our expanded engagement with contemporary art. Thanks to their enlightened philanthropy, visitors to the ĢƵ’s galleries will be able to enjoy the most exciting art of today alongside our extraordinary array of historic masterpieces.”

Elena Crippa, Senior Curator of Contemporary Art: Exhibitions and Projects at the ĢƵ, said: “The new galleries will be a site of possibilities for artists to present exceptional artworks. These new spaces will help us connect past and present art and ideas, engage students and bring living artists to the core of our activities.”

Sir Leonard Blavatnik, said: “My family and I have taken great pride in our association with the ĢƵ over the past decade. It has been a privilege to play a leading role in shaping the Gallery’s future. We congratulate all involved and look forward to many more years of close collaboration.”

Sir Antony Gormley, artist, said: “Wonderful to have, in such a lively intellectual context, a new place to look at, experience, and discuss the art of our time.”

Download Press Release

Download Press Release

Bolton & Quinn
erica@boltonquinn.com +44 (0)20 7221 5000 | +44 (0)77 1169 8186

ĢƵ

NOTES TO EDITORS

ĢƵ
The ĢƵ works to advance how we see and understand the visual arts, as an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history and a major public gallery. Founded by collectors and philanthropists in 1932, the organisation has been at the forefront of the study of art ever since through advanced research and conservation practice, innovative teaching, the renowned collection and inspiring exhibitions of its gallery, and engaging and accessible activities, education and events.

The ĢƵ Gallery cares for one of the greatest art collections in the UK, presenting these works to the public at the ĢƵ Gallery in central London, as well as through loans and partnerships. The Gallery is most famous for its iconic Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces – such as Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère. It showcases these alongside an internationally renowned collection of works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the present day.

Academically, the ĢƵ Institute is the largest community of art historians and conservators in the UK, teaching and conducting research on subjects ranging from creativity in late Antiquity to contemporary digital art forms – with an increasingly global focus. An independent college of the University of London, the ĢƵ offers a range of degree programmes from BA to PhD in the History of Art, curating, art and business and the conservation of easel and wall paintings. Its alumni are leaders and innovators in the arts, culture and business worlds, helping to shape the global agenda for the arts and creative industries.

Founded on the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to engage with art, the ĢƵ works to increase understanding of the role of art throughout history, across all societies and geographies, and to champion its importance in the present day. This could be through exhibitions offering a chance to look closely at world-famous works; events bringing art history research to new audiences; accessible short courses; digital engagement, innovative school, family, and community programmes; or taking a formal qualification. The ĢƵ’s ambition is to transform access to art history education, ensuring as many people as possible can benefit from the tools it offers to better understand the visual world around us.

The ĢƵ is an exempt charity and relies on generous philanthropic support to achieve its mission of advancing the understanding of the visual arts of the past and present across the world through advanced research, innovative teaching, inspiring exhibitions, programmes and collections.

The collection cared for by the ĢƵ Gallery is owned by the Samuel ĢƵ Trust.

Blavatnik Family Foundation
Led by Sir Leonard Blavatnik, founder of Access Industries, the Blavatnik Family Foundation promotes innovation, discovery and creativity to benefit the whole of society. Through the Foundation, the Blavatnik family has contributed over $1.3 billion globally to advance science, education, arts and culture, and social justice. The Blavatnik Family Foundation has also supported more than 180 leading cultural organisations, including the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Royal Academy, V&A, ĢƵ, Tate Modern, and English Heritage. www.blavatnikfoundation.org

About Witherford Watson Mann Architects
Witherford Watson Mann Architects started off their collaboration, more than twenty years ago, with a series of walks through the edges of London; since then, they have approached every project as an open-ended enquiry. Witherford Watson Mann Architects work with what they find, turning the constraints of inherited situations into surprising opportunities. They develop designs in conversation with their clients, helping progressive institutions do more of what they excel at. Combining imagination with collaboration has led to an exceptional level of ambition, the significance of which has been recognised with two RIBA Stirling Prizes: Appleby Blue Almshouse (2025), reimagining independent urban living for older people; and Astley Castle (2013), a bold entwining of past and present. Appleby Blue also won the 2025 RIBA Neave Brown Award for Social Housing and was the overall winner across all categories of the 2024 Housing Design Awards.

In addition, Witherford Watson Mann Architects’ re-imagination of the ĢƵ Institute of Art in the Grade 1 Listed Somerset House and theatre for Nevill Holt Opera, built within the courtyard of an historic stable block, were shortlisted for the 2023 and 2019 RIBA Stirling Prizes respectively. Three of their projects won the ‘Stirling Prize People’s Vote’.

Witherford Watson Mann Architects have transformed existing buildings for Amnesty International UK, the Whitechapel Gallery, Arts Council England and Clare College, Cambridge. Strategic projects at the city scale include the Walthamstow Wetlands, Bankside Urban Forest and Olympic Park Legacy Plan. They continue to work with extraordinary institutions on re-imagining them in their buildings with the second phase of the ĢƵ Institute of Art, Albany Theatre Deptford and Royal College of Art’s home in Kensington all underway.

About Lawson Ward Studio
Established in 2020 by Hannah Lawson and Georgina Ward, Lawson Ward Studio is a London-based architecture and design practice recognised for thoughtful and collaborative design. The studio works across cultural, educational and residential projects, from small-scale refurbishments to major new developments, with a particular focus on the reinvention of existing buildings through careful remodelling or dramatic intervention.

Clients include the ĢƵ Institute of Art, The National Gallery, The Science Museum, The Natural History Museum, The Wallace Collection, the British Film Institute and the Warwick Schools Foundation, alongside a range of private clients and developers. Recent work includes the Roden Centre for Creative Learning at The National Gallery, which won an AJ Architecture Award in 2025, in the Cultural Project category.

Lawson Ward Studio is committed to delivering architecture that is collaborative, context-driven and rooted in ideas of place, space, material and light – resulting in work that is considered, meaningful and enduring.

About Purcell
Purcell is an international practice of architects, masterplanners and heritage consultants, trusted for its expertise in conserving and reimagining the world’s most significant historic places. Founded in 1947, the practice pioneered the post-war conservation movement and continue to champion adaptive reuse as a pathway to a sustainable, low-carbon future.

With a conservation-first mindset, Purcell combines design excellence with technical rigour to deliver inclusive, planet-positive solutions. Its award-winning portfolio includes the National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing with Selldorf Architects; Manchester Town Hall; the Wallace Collection masterplan; and twice nominated for the Stirling Prize for National Portrait Gallery with Jamie Fobert Architects and the 2025 Stirling Prize-nominated Elizabeth Tower.

With 14 studios (10 across the UK and four in Asia Pacific) – Purcell is proud to be a Certified B Corporation®, ranked No.1 for Heritage in the World Architecture 100 and recognised for creating places that celebrate heritage while making space for new stories to unfold.

Rendering of the Blavatnik Contemporary Galleries at the ĢƵ featuring, left to right: Peter Doig, Alpinist (2022), Claudette Johnson, Blues Dance (2023), and Rachel Jones, STRUCK (2025). Illustration: Secchi Smith.

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]]> Ambition is the Last Refuge Before Failure /take-part/schools/sense-of-self-online-exhibition/ambition-is-the-last-refuge-before-failure/ Mon, 19 Jan 2026 11:15:45 +0000 /?page_id=164997 The post Ambition is the Last Refuge Before Failure appeared first on ĢƵ.

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Will, Ambition is the Last Refuge Before Failure, Sense of Self Online Exhibition 2025 | The ĢƵ.
Will, Ambition is the Last Refuge Before Failure, Sense of Self Online Exhibition 2025 | The ĢƵ.

Will, aged 17

Using myself as the subject I try to embody the themes of Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait within this piece: personal struggles fought internally, physically manifested as fragmented pieces of my face emphasised by the change in texture. The rest of the piece has symbolic meaning: the wing to represent one’s own ambition, the multiple faces representing personalities, and the kintsugi lines drawn from Japanese art to show inspiration.

 

Explore more works

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