The 5 best exhibitions of 2023 in Europe

From impressionism to contemporary art, here are the most interesting new exhibitions opening across Europe this year.

After Impressionism: Inventing Modern Art

25 March to 13 August 2023
The National Gallery, London

The National Gallery's spring exhibition focuses on the revolutionary artwork produced by Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and Paul Cezanne in and around Paris between 1880 and 1906, during the Belle Epoque era.

The Vision After the Sermon (Jacob wrestling with the Angel), 1888, Paul Gauguin, Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh

Vermeer

10 February to 4 June 2023
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam will host the most comprehensive exhibition of Johannes Vermeer's work to date, featuring at least 28 of his estimated 37 autograph paintings. It will also explore the artist's social circles and home life.

Het Melkmeisje (The Milkmaid), ca. 1657–1658, Johannes Vermeer, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Manet / Degas

28 March to 23 July 2023
Musée d’Orsay, Paris

The exhibition will explore the art and experiences of the two French Impressionists, Manet and Degas, between the 1860s and Manet's passing in 1883. Rather than emphasizing their commonalities, such as their portrayal of prostitutes, haunts, and patrons, the exhibit will highlight the distinctions between them.

Portrait de Mme Manet sur un canapé bleu, 1874, Edouard Manet, Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Hilma af Klint & Piet Mondrian

20 April to 3 September 2023
Tate Modern, London

Tate Modern's exhibition pairs the unlikely duo Hilma af Klint and Piet Mondrian, both of whom transitioned to abstraction around the turn of the century despite different influences and never having met. The show will explore how religion, nature, and scientific revolution inspired this shift.

The Ten Largest, Group IV, No. 3, Youth, 1907, Hilma af Klint, The Hilma af Klint Foundation

Dana Schutz

9 February to 11 June 2023

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, Denmark

American artist Dana Schutz is known for her large, complex, and often grotesque narrative paintings that blend figuration and abstraction. Her show at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, near Copenhagen, will showcase her career from 2002 to present.

Mountain Group, 2018, Dana Schutz, Collection of Marguerite Steed Hoffman. © Dana Schutz