The venue’s Courtauld Gallery is home to artworks such as Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear’ and ‘The Descent From The Cross’ by Peter Paul Rubens but the blaze broke out on the opposite side of the Georgian-era complex.
A fire at Somerset House has been contained after around 125 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze at the central London arts venue.
The venue is home to artworks such as Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear’ and ‘The Descent From The Cross’ by Peter Paul Rubens.
But a spokesperson for Somerset House said the fire had broken out in the west wing, on the opposite side of the complex from the Courtauld Gallery.
“It’s too early to comment on the building’s condition, but I think thanks to the efforts of the emergency services, I am confident that the damage is to one small part of the building,” said director of the Somerset House Trust, Jonathan Reekie.
“As the London Fire Brigade continue their investigation and operations, Somerset House will remain closed to the public until further notice.”
The fire was first reported just before midday on Saturday and sparked a complex and technical response from fire crews which required the use of a 63-metre ladder to reach the flames and fire breaks had to be created in the roof to limit the spread of flames.
The London Fire Brigade’s assistant commissioner Keeley Foster told reporters that fire crews will remain on site into Sunday.
There were no reports of any injuries and the cause of the fire is still being investigated.
The venue next to the River Thames had been scheduled to host a breakdancing event to celebrate the sport’s debut at the Paris Olympics.
“It was scary but they handled it really, really well,” said Abisola Alli, who was supposed to attend the cancelled event.
