A fire broke out in the roof of Somerset House, a large arts venue in central London, but priceless paintings by artists such as Monet, Cezanne, and Van Gogh were unharmed. Firefighters worked to extinguish the flames, which were initially challenging due to the age and design of the building. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but staff and the public were safe and artworks were not in the affected area. The fire was in the west wing, which mainly housed offices and back-of-house facilities, not artworks. The fire did not impact The Courtauld Gallery, which features works by Van Gogh and Rubens. The gallery is set to reopen Sunday. Somerset House, originally built in 1547 and reconstructed nearly 250 years ago, has historical significance as Queen Elizabeth I lived there as a princess before becoming queen. The venue had been set to host a canceled breakdancing event celebrating the sport’s debut at the Paris Olympics. Firefighters used a 205-foot ladder and created fire breaks in the roof to contain the flames. The response was complex and technical, with crews expected to be on the scene until Sunday.
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Van Gogh and Cezanne’s works unscathed in London’s Somerset House fire
