Five hundred years of art unfold themselves in a new display at the National Gallery of Denmark. From Medieval times to the Enlightenment, European Art 1300-1800 takes you on a tour of the most important periods and styles within Western art.

The exhibition shows more than 450 works with important masterpieces by some of the leading figures within art history such as Mantegna, Titian, El Greco, Jordaens, Bernini and artists such as Cranach, Rubens, and Rembrandt.

A collection built by the kings

The older European art housed at the National Gallery of Denmark constitutes the oldest art collection in Denmark and has its roots all the way back to the private collections of the kings. From the early 16th century up until the abolishment of absolute monarchy in 1848 the kings acquired the art themselves and so left their personal imprint on the collection.

Chronology and geography

European Art 1300-1800 is arranged in order of chronology and country of origin. You are initially offered a choice of three different routes through the five centuries of art, which place especial emphasis on Italian, Dutch, Flemish, French, Spanish, and German art. The three routes each outline different movements within the arts and also point to crucial chapters within the collection’s history.