Once known as the Hermitage Rooms, this space at Somerset House held treasures. It’s easy to miss the echoes of its past. Between 2000 and 2007, these rooms showcased temporary exhibitions. These exhibitions came from the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. The Hermitage Rooms offered London a glimpse into a world-class collection.
Lord Rothschild spearheaded the project in the 1990s. Individual and corporate donors funded it. Admission fees also helped. Several rooms in Somerset House’s south wing received a makeover. The design evoked the Winter Palace interiors. The public entered this transformed space in November 2000.
In 2003, the Somerset House Learning Centre opened. It enhanced the experience for visitors to the Hermitage Rooms. An Evening with Elton John, a gala in July 2002, funded this center. Also in 2003, the Courtauld Institute of Art took over responsibility for the Hermitage Rooms. The Courtauld Institute was housed nearby in Somerset House.
Treasures of Catherine the Great inaugurated the Hermitage Rooms. Subsequent exhibitions broadened the scope. Western painting appeared alongside photography. Ceramics and Islamic art also featured. The Hermitage’s works sometimes combined with other collections. Peter Paul Rubens: A Touch of Brilliance included items from the Courtauld Institute Gallery.
The Hermitage Rooms faced uncertainty in 2005. The Hermitage Museum planned to withdraw its overseas art loans. This decision followed an international loan crisis. Paintings from the Pushkin Museum in Moscow were seized. They were held hostage in a trade dispute. The dispute involved a Geneva-based company and the Russian state. The Russian state owned both the Hermitage and the Pushkin.
The rooms remained closed until June 2007. A new exhibition then opened. It was titled France in Russia: Empress Josephine’s Malmaison Collection. This exhibition lasted until November 2007.
Somerset House itself has a rich history. The Georgian era quadrangle stands on the site of a Tudor palace. This palace belonged to the Duke of Somerset in 1547. Sir William Chambers designed the present Somerset House. Construction began in 1776. Victorian era outer wings were added later. They were added to the east and west in 1831 and 1856.
Somerset House originally housed various government offices. Today, it hosts organizations centered around the arts and education.
The Hermitage Rooms may no longer exist in name. However, Somerset House continues to host temporary exhibitions. Its history as a venue for international art lives on. The building remains a cultural hub in London. It has a diverse program of art exhibitions. These exhibitions draw on various sources. The legacy of the Hermitage Rooms is thus woven into the larger story of Somerset House. It is a story of transformation, art, and cultural exchange.