Major exhibition of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection opens at The Courtauld
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The Courtauld Gallery presents an exceptional selection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings in the first ever exhibition of the Oskar Reinhart Collection ‘Am Römerholz’ to be staged outside of Winterthur, Switzerland. The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Goya to Impressionism. Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection is on display from 14 February – 26 May 2025.
The exhibition opens with a selection of major paintings by artists who preceded the Impressionists, including Goya’s highly charged Still Life with Three Salmon Steaks (c.1808-12), Géricault’s moving A Man Suffering from Delusions of Military Rank (c.1819-22) and Courbet’s provocative The Hammock (1844).
At the heart of the exhibition are some of the greatest paintings of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, including Toulouse-Lautrec’s striking representation of the female performer The Clown Cha-U-Kao (1895), Manet’s groundbreaking depiction of modern life Au Café (1878), and a group of sensational works by Renoir and Cezanne. A further highlight is the pair of celebrated paintings by Van Gogh, A Ward in the Hospital at Arles and The Courtyard of the Hospital at Arles (1889), which illustrate the hospital where he had been a patient following his earlier mental breakdown and the mutilation of his ear, as seen in Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear in The Courtauld’s collection. The two paintings are presented together for the very first time in London at The Courtauld.
The Oskar Reinhart Collection ‘Am Römerholz’ in Winterthur, Switzerland, is one of the most remarkable art museums of its kind, with a collection that ranges from superlative old master paintings and drawings to a fabled group of Impressionist art. Featuring over 200 works of art, the collection was assembled in the first half of the 20th century by Oskar Reinhart (1885-1965), whose family was associated with one of the world’s leading trading companies. Reinhart bequeathed his collection and house to the Swiss confederation, and it opened as a public museum in 1970 in his beautiful, large villa on the outskirts of Winterthur, close to Zurich, called ‘Am Römerholz’.
Oskar Reinhart was a direct contemporary of Samuel Courtauld, founder of The Courtauld Institute of Art. They shared a similar taste in artists and are known to have met. The Oskar Reinhart Collection’s close affinities with that of The Courtauld Gallery’s permanent collection provide the perfect context to stage this unprecedented exhibition, which brings many of Reinhart’s paintings to the United Kingdom for the very first time.
The exhibition’s lead sponsor is Griffin Catalyst, the civic engagement initiative of Citadel Founder and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin.
The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition Series has recently been extended to 2028. This collaboration will continue to support the deeply researched and varied exhibitions programme that Kenneth C. Griffin has supported since The Courtauld’s reopening in 2021.
The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Goya to Impressionism. Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection
14 February – 26 May 2025
The Courtauld Gallery Somerset House, Strand London WC2R 0RN
Opening hours: 10.00 – 18.00 (last entry 17.15)
Temporary Exhibition tickets (including entry to our Permanent Collection and displays) – Weekday tickets from £14; Weekend tickets from £16.
Friends and Under-18s go free. Other concessions available
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NOTES TO EDITORS
About The Courtauld
The Courtauld 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 Courtauld cares for one of the greatest art collections in the UK, presenting these works to the public at The Courtauld 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 Courtauld 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 Courtauld 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 Courtauld 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 Courtauld’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 Courtauld 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 Courtauld Gallery is owned by the Samuel Courtauld Trust.
About The Oskar Reinhart Collection ‘Am Römerholz’ In his former home – The Oskar Reinhart Collection ‘Am Römerholz’ in Winterthur, Switzerland – the art collector and patron Oskar Reinhart (1885-1965) left behind one of the
most important private collections of the 20th century. Outstanding paintings of French Impressionism and its forerunners engage in a stimulating dialogue with masterpieces of older art. The two main collection groups correspond to this day more or less exactly to the two architectural components of the residence. On the one hand, there are a few Old Master paintings displayed in the villa of 1915, Oskar Reinhart’s former home, being visually attuned to their surroundings. On the other, there are works of French Impressionism and its immediate forerunners, which form the main focus of the collection and which Reinhart juxtaposed with examples of earlier art in the gallery building of 1925.
The Oskar Reinhart Collection ‘Am Römerholz’ ranges from Lucas Cranach the Elder, Bruegel, Chardin and Goya to Cézanne, van Gogh and early Picasso. The approximately 200 works of art also include masterpieces by Géricault, Manet, Monet and Toulouse- Lautrec, as well as entire groups of works by Delacroix, Courbet, Daumier and Renoir. Pursuing the aim of acquiring art based solely on aesthetic rather than historical and geographic criteria, Reinhart managed to gather a harmonious selection of European masterpieces that belongs among the finest of its kind worldwide. In an aesthetically unique way, the Oskar Reinhart Collection ʻAm Römerholz̕ enables visitors to trace the history of European art from the fourteenth to the early twentieth century in the form of a magnificent celebration of the art of painting, abetted by a group of drawings and some sculptures and textiles.
Additionally, the property is surrounded by a beautiful park with old trees and important sculptures. In summer, guests can order picnic baskets at the museum café and enjoy the silence of nature in Reinhart’s vast historical garden. Throughout the year, audio guides in five languages, special tours, painting workshops for young and old, and a wide range of activities for children are available.
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/