The Courtauld Gallery was “unaffected” by a fireplace that broke out on the roof of Somerset Home in central London right this moment, the museum posted on X, previously Twitter. Based mostly within the north wing of the historic web site, the Courtauld, which homes masterpieces by Van Gogh, Manet and Cézanne amongst many others, will reopen on 18 August.
Professor Mark Hallett, the Märit Rausing Director of The Courtauld, mentioned in an announcement: “The Courtauld, together with our galleries and assortment of artworks, is unaffected by the hearth. As a precaution, we’ve got closed the galleries for the remainder of the day.”
The director of Somerset Home Belief, Jonathan Reekie, informed The Guardian that the hearth broke out within the west wing of the constructing and there have been “no artworks in that space”. The Courtauld Gallery director, Ernst Vegelin, was additionally current on web site.
Round 125 firefighters and 15 hearth engines battled the blaze on the historic constructing on the Strand, in accordance with an announcement posted by the London Hearth Brigade. There are not any reported accidents; the causes of fireside are actually being examined whereas the total extent of the injury is presently unknown. Quite a few enterprise and corporations occupy the location, which has develop into a key arts hub within the capital.
Assistant Commissioner Keeley Foster, who was on the scene, mentioned in an announcement: “The hearth was positioned in a part of the constructing’s roof house. The age and design of the constructing proved a problem for crews as they initially responded. Consequently, 4 of the Brigade’s aerial ladders, together with a 64 metre turntable ladder, had been deployed to help firefighters as they carried out a fancy and technical response. This included creating hearth breaks within the roof, which has now restricted the unfold of flames.”
Somerset Home has closed whereas the hearth brigade battles the blaze © The Artwork Newspaper
Somerset Home posted on X earlier right this moment: “All employees and public are secure and the location is closed. The London Hearth Brigade arrived swiftly and we’re working very carefully with them to regulate the unfold of the hearth.”
The Courtauld Gallery of Artwork reopened in November 2021 following a four-year refurbishment. The restored and expanded complicated homes a plethora of latest galleries and areas with backing from main sponsors together with the posh conglomerate LVMH and the Ukrainian-born billionaire Leonard Blavatnik.
The preliminary Tudor palace on the Somerset Home web site was constructed by the Duke of Somerset round 1547; the present authorities on-site buildings had been initiated by King George III round 1776. The Courtauld Institute and Gallery moved to their present premises at Somerset Home in 1989 (previous to the transfer, the establishment was unfold throughout a number of buildings at Portman Sq. with among the assortment on show on the Warburg Institute).
