Once Upon a Museum

Crowds at the Mona Lisa

Earlier this year, when I visited London, I had two very different museum experiences, back to back. The first was stressful and frustrating. The second was a complete joy. I think that the difference had much to do with (1) the crowds and (2) the audio guides (or absence thereof).

Crowds at the National Gallery, London

The first experience was the blockbuster Monet exhibit at the National Gallery. Many beautiful works--in fact, almost a "greatest hits" show. But not too many surprises, and a
constant jostling of the crowd. One could hardly see the paintings over the heads of others. And every painting featured on the audio guide was perennially swamped, as people stood before it, listening to lengthy explications of the painting.

The Courtauld Gallery

The second (joyful) experience was The Courtauld Gallery. So civilized! The Gallery is housed in a beautiful structure,  the 18th century Somerset House, which has pleasing architecture and lovely light. It is a spacious and peaceful oasis in the heart of central London, with a fabulous art collection, particularly strong in 19th century French artists. 

"Woman at the Window"
Edgar Degas
The Courtauld Gallery

Each painting has plenty of room to breathe, and the architecture of the gallery rooms is elegant but uncluttered. There is a wonderful video walk-through of The Courtauld, featuring the British actor Bill Nighy, which you can see here. His favorite painting (pictured above) is mine also. It took my breath away to turn the corner and be face to face with it. 

Manet at the Courtauld Gallery

The gallery was not crowded, and I could relish each painting as long as I wished. There were a number of surprises--lesser known works of some important artists, works that are not pictured in every book or included in every retrospective. I always love these surprises, and think that they really contribute to a great museum experience.

Raoul Dufy at the Courtauld Gallery

The Courtauld just closed on September 3, 2018, for an extensive renovation. They say that the renovation is designed to transform the gallery by making "accessibility" its focus. Based on my reading, I think this means both physical handicapped access and educational, interactive access. You can read more details here. 

"The Angler"
Georges Seurat, 1884
Courtauld Gallery

I hope that the transformation doesn't compromise the features that made the gallery experience so enjoyable for me. The Gallery does expect a dramatic increase in attendance after the re-do, so my quiet and leisurely visit may become a rarer commodity. But on the bright side, the masterworks are on tour during the renovations, so more people will be able to enjoy them. Stay tuned for the grand re-opening in two years...