Paintings

A self-portrait of Van Gogh wearing a green coat, a blue hat with a black trim, and a bandaged left ear. A Japanese print and an easel can be seen behind him. i Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) , Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889), The Â鶹ÊÓƵ, London (Samuel Â鶹ÊÓƵ Trust) © The Â鶹ÊÓƵ

Highlights of The Collection

Discover the remarkable paintings in The Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s collection, which range from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.

The Â鶹ÊÓƵ is best known for its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, including iconic works by Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne.

The collection includes one of the richest holdings in Britain of early Italian art and paintings by the 17th-century artist Peter Paul Rubens, alongside important works by Sandro Botticelli, Lucas Cranach and Pieter Bruegel. The displays extend into the 20th century with major works by Amedeo Modigliani, Oskar Kokoschka and artists of the Bloomsbury Group.

The collection on display is under continuous review. This means some of the works of art on this page might not be on view at the time of your visit. Works of art not on display can be seen by appointment; please contact us for further information.


Middle Ages and Renaissance, 1250 - 1600

The Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s collection of medieval and Renaissance paintings comprises outstanding works from both northern and southern Europe. Its holdings of 14th and early 15th century Italian paintings are one of the most important in Britain. They are complemented by one of the finest examples of early Netherlandish painting, The Entombment or ‘Seilern Triptych’.

Works from later in the period include the only altarpiece by Sandro Botticelli in the UK; one of Lucas Cranach’s greatest paintings, Adam and Eve; and two rare panels by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, a leading artist of the Northern Renaissance by whom fewer than 40 paintings survive.


Adam and Eve are depicted at the fateful moment when they disobey God and commit the first sin.

Adam and Eve

Lucas Cranach the Elder

Cranach and his workshop made over 50 versions of this subject. This painting is one of the largest and most beautiful....


Paintings in Europe, 1600 - 1800

At the heart of The Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s holdings of European painting is a world-class collection of works by the artist Peter Paul Rubens. It includes large oil studies that offer unparalleled insights into Rubens’s creative process, and very personal works such as the enchanting Landscape by Moonlight.

The 18th century collection features paintings from different parts of Europe, including Italy, Spain and England. Particularly striking works include Thomas Gainsborough’s mesmerising portrait of his wife and the only full-length portrait by Francisco de Goya in Britain.


Impressionism and Post-Impressionism

Discover The Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s extraordinary Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collection featuring paintings by Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Gauguin and the most significant collection of works by Paul Cézanne in the UK. Highlights include world-famous masterpieces such as Édouard Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère and Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear.

The collection is presented in The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Gallery’s spectacular Great Room, one of the largest spaces in Somerset House, after a three-year transformation project.


Pierre-Auguste Renoir, (1841- 1919) La Loge, 1874

La Loge (The Theatre Box)

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Pierre-Auguste Renoir showed La Loge (The Theatre Box)  at the first Impressionist group exhibition in Paris in 1874....


20th century

The Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s rich collection of modern paintings ranges from early 20th-century highlights such as Amedeo Modigliani’s Female Nude, to major Post-War paintings, including Frank Auerbach’s Rebuilding the Empire Cinema, Leicester Square, and a collection of works by Bloomsbury Group artists including Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant and Roger Fry.

Other highlights include a significant group of works by Oskar Kokoschka, including his monumental triptych The Myth of Prometheus, and works by Ben Nicholson, Graham Sutherland, Ivon Hitchens and Frank Auerbach among others.


A painting of three women in conversation. The woman on the left leans into the other two in earnest discussion. They sit in front of an open window with a bouquet of flowers visible.

A Conversation

Vanessa Bell

A Conversation  is one of Vanessa Bell's major achievements, which she worked on at various points over several years....

Triptych – The Apocalypse

The Myth of Prometheus

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Oskar Kokoschka reworked biblical and mythological stories in the triptych to express his fears for humanity following the Second World War....

Explore more from The Â鶹ÊÓƵ


Painted self-portrait of Van Gogh

The Collection

Explore The Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s remarkable collection of paintings, prints and drawings, sculpture and decorative arts. ...

Citations