WHAT? Goya to Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection 

WHERE? The Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN

WHEN? Now until 26th May 

WHY GO?  To obsess over paintings.  It’s unimaginable to comprehend how one man could amass a collection of over 200 great paintings, but Swiss art patron Oskar Reinhart did just that and a curated selection of 25 masterpieces from his vast collection is now on show at the gallery where iconic Impressionist paintings are also bountiful. 

To say this is a treat is to understate the joy in seeing a Goya alongside a Renoir or Cézanne but a painting by Van Gogh of the atmospheric hospital in Arles is quite the rarest treat.  

Visitors will be au fait with the gardens he frequently painted but less familiar with his interpretation of what went on inside the hospital wards he came to know so well. 

The hospital paintings alone are worth visiting this magnificent exhibition for and of course, The Courtauld Gallery is permanently home to Van Gogh’s famous bandaged ear portrait. 

This art lover's gem of a show offers a rare opportunity to sample a personal philanthropic collector’s impeccable taste, since until recently the paintings were not allowed out of the country. It’s worth buying the accompanying exhibition guide book which details pertinent info about each and every precious work of art. 

IN THE KNOW  Who was this intriguing patron of the arts? Oskar Reinhart, who died in 1965 at the age of 80 was the son of wealthy Swiss merchants and travelled extensively for work admiring and collecting European artworks.  He gradually built up a personal collection which is usually housed in Winterthur, Switzerland.  His former villa cum museum known as The Oscar Reinhart Collection ‘Am Römerholz’ is currently undergoing renovation opening up the fortuitous opportunity to see some of his priceless collection on loan in London.