During my recent autumn visit to London, I was fortunate enough to secure tickets to what has become one of the most sought-after exhibitions of the year: “Monet and London: Views of the Thames” at The Courtauld Gallery. As a frequent visitor to the Art Institute of Chicago, where I regularly commune with Monet’s stunning “Houses of Parliament” series, I was particularly excited to see this landmark exhibition that brings together 21 of Monet’s London paintings for the first time in 120 years.
The exhibition, housed in the Denise Coates Exhibition Galleries at Somerset House, is a remarkable achievement. It’s particularly poignant that these works are being shown just 300 meters from the Savoy Hotel, where Monet painted many of them during his visits to London between 1899 and 1901. Standing before these canvases, I could almost imagine the artist at his window, capturing the ever-changing effects of London’s infamous late-Victorian industrial fog on the Thames.
The paintings themselves are simply breathtaking. Having spent much time with Chicago’s Monet collection, I thought I knew what to expect, but seeing these works together, as Monet intended them to be viewed in his 1904 Paris exhibition, was a revelation. The ways in which he captured the mysterious light and atmosphere of Victorian London – the fog-shrouded bridges, the ethereal Houses of Parliament, the steam and smoke mixing with the natural mist – creates an almost supernatural effect that no reproduction can adequately convey.
Here’s some video I shot of the exhibition while I was there (and yet I forgot to take pictures, sigh).
The only slight drawback to this extraordinary exhibition is the somewhat cramped viewing conditions. Given the unprecedented nature of this gathering of works and their popularity, the galleries were absolutely packed during my visit. Getting close enough to study the detailed brushwork often required patience and careful timing. However, this minor inconvenience was a small price to pay for the privilege of seeing these masterpieces together.
For those planning to visit, I should note that general admission tickets are now completely sold out for the entire run of the exhibition through January 2025 – a testament to its significance and appeal. However, there is still hope: becoming a Friend of The Courtauld offers unlimited access to the exhibition, along with other benefits. Given the exhibition’s importance, this might be worth considering for art lovers who find themselves in London during the show’s run.
The Courtauld has done an admirable job of realizing Monet’s unfulfilled ambition of showing these works in London. It’s fascinating to think that while Monet desperately wanted to exhibit these paintings in London in 1905, it’s taken 120 years for this dream to be realized. Standing in the galleries, surrounded by these luminous views of the Thames, I couldn’t help but feel that this long wait has made the homecoming all the more special.
After the sublime experience of Monet’s Thames views, I made sure to explore the rest of The Courtauld’s permanent collection, which houses some of the finest Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works in Britain. The highlights are numerous and breathtaking: Manet’s “A Bar at the Folies-Bergère” commands attention with its mysterious reflection and penetrating gaze, while Van Gogh’s “Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear” provides an intimate and haunting glimpse into the artist’s troubled psyche. The Courtauld’s collection of Cézanne works is particularly impressive, including his iconic “The Card Players” and several of his transcendent still lifes. I was also enchanted by the museum’s magnificent Medieval and Renaissance collections, and found myself lingering before Botticelli’s “Trinity Altarpiece” and the delicate Gothic ivories. A particular favorite is always Georges Seurat’s “Young Woman Powdering Herself,” with its mesmerizing pointillist technique. The Courtauld might be a relatively small museum, but its collection ranks among the world’s finest, making it the perfect complement to the Monet exhibition – and well worth setting aside several hours to explore thoroughly.
This exhibition serves as a powerful reminder of Monet’s genius and his special relationship with London. While my own visits to the Art Institute of Chicago will always be treasured, there was something magical about seeing these paintings in the very city that inspired them, just steps away from the scenes they depict. Despite the crowds, despite the waiting, this was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that any lover of Impressionism should strive to see.
Find out more on the Courtauld’s Website here.
If you’re unable to attend in person, you can buy the exhibition catalog from the Courtauld’s Website.
Author: Jonathan Thomas
Jonathan is a consummate Anglophile who launched Anglotopia.net in 2007 to channel his passion for Britain. Londontopia is its sister publication dedicated to everything London.