Europe’s art scene continues to be one of the richest and most diverse in the world. From Renaissance masterpieces, to innovative impressionism, the continent’s exhibitions have so much to offer this autumn. Explore some of the titans of industry in Dalí and Rembrandt, and discover lesser-known gems such as Mary Cassatt, for shows right up until April.
Willem de Kooning at Work
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Willem de Kooning (1904-97) was just 22 when he left Rotterdam for America. A stowaway on a freighter, he had no money and scarcely a word of English. Yet within 30 years, he was a titan of abstract expressionism. Marking the centenary of his departure, this exhibition explores one of the 20th century’s most revered painters.
9 October-17 January 2027
Bernini – Painter and Sculptor
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) was arguably the ultimate Renaissance man. He painted, sculpted and even planned cities; and, as an architect, he arguably invented the baroque style. Vienna’s art history museum is mounting an unprecedented display of the artist’s masterpieces.
2 December-4 April 2027
Hals-Rembrandt
Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, Netherlands
Two giants of Dutch art are united here for a surefire blockbuster. Hals was lively and irreverent; Rembrandt dealt with subjects altogether more weighty. A shared sensibility as painters, however, shines through their respective bodies of work.
6 November-28 February 2027
Mary Cassatt: Being Independent
Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France
The impressionist master Mary Cassatt finally gets the retrospective she deserves. Cassatt (1844-1926), who was born in America but worked in Paris, was every bit as inventive as her better-known male peers: her pictures of children are stupendous, less soppy than Renoir, more modern than Manet.
6 October-31 January 2027
The Freudian Universe of Dalí
Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Spain
Surrealism was a movement inherently linked to Freudian psychoanalysis; this show features 62 works by Salvador Dalí, and explores his deeply odd beliefs from a therapist’s point of view. It will come as no surprise to learn there is a lot to unpick.
20 October-24 January 2027
The best art exhibitions to see across the continent this autumn
