Collecting Gauguin: Samuel Courtauld in the '20s
The Courtauld Gallery holds the most important collection of works in the United Kingdom by the Post-Impressionist master Paul Gauguin (1848-1903). Assembled by the pioneering collector Samuel Courtauld (1876-1947), it includes five major paintings, ten prints and one of only two marble sculptures ever created by the artist. This special summer display presents the complete collection together with the loan of two important works by Gauguin formerly in Courtauld’s private collection: Martinique Landscape (Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh) and Bathers at Tahiti (Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham) along with two double-sided drawings and archival material from the Gallery's collection. Today, Gauguin is widely celebrated as one of the most important artists of the 19th century. Collecting Gauguin offers an opportunity to consider the contribution of Samuel Courtauld in developing the artist’s reputation in this country. IMAGE: Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) Martinique Landscape, 1887. Oil on canvas, 115 x 88.50 cm. © Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh
