The Courtauld gallery is situated at the entrance to Somerset house and I have actually walked past it a couple of times without realising the masterpieces that hang within it.

The collection of paintings range from early renaissance into the twentieth century and features legendary artists such as Van Gogh, Monet and Gauguin.

The collection is spread over four floors which is accessed via the winding staircase and they all have a description of the piece placed next to them with the artists name and information about the piece.

The displays are not just placed on the walls and some of the rooms are incredibly ornate and a work of art in themselves. It is not just paintings featured in the gallery, there are also prints, drawings, sculptures and decorative arts.

My favourite pieces were the bronze ballet dancers by Degas accompanied by his painting entitled Two dancers on a stage.

I found the Courtauld to be a real hidden treasure that is a lot more compact than some of London’s more well known galleries, although it does have an entrance fee but this means there are less visitors so there is more space to take in the artwork. I managed to get in free with my student ID and there are other concessions. Under 18s are free although I don’t think it would be too popular with young kids! Check out their website for more up to date information.