Harrodian’s Art History A Level students were captivated by their trip to the Courtauld earlier this month.
Housed in the elegant spaces of Somerset House on the Strand, the Courtauld Collection still remains one of London’s best-kept art secrets, despite the must-see nature of its priceless collection.
Perhaps the Courtauld's most famous highlights are its epoque-defining line-up of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist icons
Its iconic treasures range from the mediaeval to the modern but perhaps its most famous highlights are an epoque-defining line-up of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist icons, including Van Gogh’s Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear (above), Renoir’s La Loge and Manet’s revolutionary A Bar at the Folies-Bergere, (below) and Le Dejeuner sur l’herbe.
'We spent a lot of time with Bar at the Folies Bergere (above and top) because it is one of our most important exam case studies,' says Head of Art History, Ms Hannah Kroes, who led the trip. 'The U6 taught the L6 about the painting commenting on how sad the girl looks in person and all the small details of the painting, like the still life elements on the counter top.'
There was also an exhibition of Van Gogh self portraits taking place at the Courtauld when the group's visit took place. 'The students really enjoyed seeing Van Gogh's self portraits side by side and examining how he captured a different mood in each one,' says Ms Kroes. 'They thought you could really see a difference in mental state between each portrait,'
The students really enjoyed seeing Van Gogh's self portraits side by side and examining how he captured a different mood in each one. They thought you could really see a difference in mental state between each portrait.
Ms Hannah Kroes, Head of Art History
'All in all, it was a trip that encouraged great interaction between students,' says Ms Kroes. 'Upper Sixth students really enjoyed seeing things they were familiar with and being able to apply their knowledge by teaching the L6, or by exchanging views of the work with each other.'