Decorated in the style of the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, the Hermitage Rooms are found in excellent company at Somerset House; the grandiose London museum is home to its own collection as well as that of the Courtauld Institute, which manages the Rooms.

Intended as an introduction to the St Petersburg collection, the Hermitage Rooms offer a glimpse of the impressive holdings amassed by the Russian imperial family and the Soviets. The collection includes a large number of Old Master, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist pieces, many of which we are lucky to have available for public viewing; the Russians have an unrivaled ability to make the transport of art as tricky as possible.

In April 2008, the Hermitage Rooms became the London base of The State Hermitage Museum and no longer function as an exhibition space.