Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo
28 February to 15 June 2025,

Norway’s National Museum was newly rebuilt in Vestbanen, along the Oslo's waterfront in the summer of 2022. Merging the collections of several previous institutions including the Museum of Architecture, Museum of Contemporary Art, and the National Gallery of Norway its collection holds over 400,000 works, including paintings by Johan Christian Dahl, and one of the two original paintings of Edvard Munch’s The Scream, 1893.

From 28 February to 15 June 2025, the museum hosts a fascinating new exhibition: Gothic Modern - Darkness to Light. It presents modern art from 1875-1925 in dialogue with art from the Middle Ages, tracing the evolution of Gothic art over the centuries. Modern Gothic artists including Käthe Kollwitz, Edvard Munch and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner are exhibited in juxtaposition with the forerunners of Gothicism from the Mediaeval and Renaissance periods, such as Hans Holbein the Younger, Albrecht Dürer and Lucas Cranach the Elder. Critics initially saw Gothicism as unrefined and a threat to classical art, as it deviated from classical style in its rendering, shape and proportions of figures, as well as the increased use of darkness and chiaroscuro. With over 250 works of art by 60 artists, the exhibition provides a view of the evolution of Gothicism, and the influence of Mediaeval and Renaissance sources on later artists. The exhibition is divided into seven sections: The Journey to the Gothic, Pilgrims of Art, Encounters with Death, Fellowship, Gothic Variations, From Love to Suffering, and Between Light and Darkness.

Nasjonalmuseet opening hours

The Oslo National Museum is open from Tuesday to Wednesday, 10:00 - 20:00 and Thursday to Sunday 10:00-17:00. Closed Monday.

How to get tickets for Gothic Modern - Darkness to Light Exhibition

Tickets can be purchased at the museum or on the website- we recommend arranging your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment.

For Kirker clients travelling to Oslo, our Kirker Concierge can arrange your tickets for you, as well as tickets for opera performances and concerts, or restaurant reservations for dinner.