Courtauld: the best of the best

If you are a fan of impressionist and post-impressionist painting then you have probably visited the Courtauld Gallery in London's Somerset House. But at time of writing the cream of that collection is on display down the road at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, along with some of the National's own pictures and a few others. It is an exhibition of works collected by Samuel Courtauld, who made a fortune leading the company that developed the new material rayon. It is a relatively small exhibition, but the quality of the pictures is very high.

As one of those who is familiar with the Courtauld Gallery, it is a surprise to see some of these familiar paintings in a different setting. Part of that setting is some large photos of these works as they were displayed in the collector's London home. Can you imagine having these paintings by Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, etc., now almost beyond price, on your living room wall? Well, of course, his living room was just a bit grander than most of ours, but even so: what luxury.

So, visiting the National during the Christmas holiday, I asked myself which one of these great paintings would I choose to have on my living room wall if I could have one? It was a tough choice, but I settled on Lake Annecy by Cezanne, pictured alongside this entry. What would you have chosen?