‘Tragic Event’ Involving Fatality Temporarily Shutters London’s Courtauld Gallery

An event that involved a fatality has moved the Courtauld Gallery in London to shutter its doors for a few days, with plans to reopen later in the week.

“Yesterday afternoon, a tragic event occurred at The Courtauld Gallery premises that led to a fatality,” the museum said in a statement on Tuesday. “The police are not treating the event as suspicious. Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased.”

Additional information about the incident has not been released.

The gallery is expected to be closed through Friday, October 6, at which point it will begin readmitting the public.

Currently on view is an exhibition of the work of British artist Claudette Johnson, who is one of the founding members of the Black British Arts Movement. Tickets to the show, which opened five days ago, can be rebooked or refunded by request.

The museum, which owns key works by Manet, van Gogh, Rubens, Lucas Cranach the Elder, and many more, is a popular destination for tourists and the British public alike. After it reopened in 2021 following a three-year modernization project, the museum said it received more than 300,000 visitors in 2022.