The Courtauld Institute of Art , commonly referred to as The Courtauld, is a self-governing college of the University of London specialising in the study of the history of art and conservation. It is widely known for the disproportionate number of directors of major museums drawn from its small body of alumni.The art collection of the Institute is known particularly for its French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings and is housed in the Courtauld Gallery.
The Institute and the Gallery are both based in Somerset House, in the Strand in London. As of 2019, the Institute's teaching and research activities have temporarily relocated to Vernon Square, London, while its Somerset House site undergoes a major regeneration project.
