Exhibition

Gothic Modern. From Darkness to Light

Akseli Gallen-Kallela, “Lemminkäinens mother”, 1897 © Antell Collections, Finnish National Gallery
Photo: Hannu Pakarinen

For many artists, the power of the Gothic aesthetic to arouse deep emotions was highly inspiring. Faith and doubt, love and sexuality, identity and social roles are just some of the themes addressed in the exhibition.

The Gothic is often associated with elements of darkness and mysticism, the frightening and the inexplicable. It also embraces a sense of otherness, a culture in opposition to the prevalent. The exhibition is divided into seven chapters: Journeys to the Gothic, Pilgrims of art, Encounters with death, Community and traditions, Gothic variations, Love and attraction, From darkness to light.*

At the heart of the exhibition are artists such as Käthe Kollwitz, Edvard Munch, George Minne, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Max Beckmann, and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Their work is presented in dialogue with notable forerunners, including Hans Holbein the Younger, Albrecht Dürer, and Lucas Cranach the Elder. “Gothic Modern” is the first international exhibition to explore this juxtaposition. Here you will encounter a broad spectrum of art forms, ranging from prints and paintings to drawings and sculpture.

This exhibition presents art from the period 1875 to 1925 alongside works from Europe of the Middle Ages and Northern Europe during the renaissance.

Lucas Cranach the Elder, "St. Sebastian", 1543 Photo: Nasjonalmuseet / Børre Høstland
Arnold Böcklin, “Selfportrait with death playing the fidle”, 1872 © Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Photo: Andres Kilger
Marianne Stokes, "Death and the Maiden", c. 1908 © Musée d’Orsay Paris. GrandPalaisRmn (musée d'Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski.
Käthe Kollwitz, “Death and woman”, 1910 Photo: Nasjonalmuseet / Andreas Harvik
Vincent van Gogh, “Head of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette”, 1886 © Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation).
Edvard Munch, “Vampire”, 1893 © The Gothenborg Museum of Art. Photo: Hossein Sehatlo
Michael Wolgemut, "Dance of Death" from the Nuremberg Chronicle, c. 1493 Photo: Ernst Bjerke
Lucas van Leyden, “Young man with a scull”, 1519 Photo: Nasjonalmuseet
Hugo Simberg, “Dance on the Quay”, 1899 © Finnish National Gallery. Photo: Aleks Talve
Theodor Kittelsen, “She covers the whole country”, 1904 Photo: Nasjonalmuseet / Ina Wesenberg

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The project was initiated by the National Gallery of Finland / Ateneum Art Museum, Helsinki and is created in collaboration with them and Albertina, Vienna.

"Gothic Modern" opened at the Ateneum in October 2024 and will be shown at the Albertina from 19 September 2025 to 11 January 2026. Vibeke Waallann Hansen and Cynthia Osiecki are the curators of the National Museum's exhibition. The exhibition is also curated by Anna-Maria von Bondsdorff, Director of the Ateneum, and Ralph Gleis, Director of Albertina.

The exhibition is based on an international research project led by Professor Juliet Simpson (Coventry University), launched with Ateneum Art Museum in 2018. Professor Juliet Simpson, as the Guest Curator, has led the research and exhibition concept, in collaboration with Ateneum, The Nationalmuseum, Norway, and the Albertina in Vienna.

Project Manager: Rikke Lundgreen
Curators: Vibeke Waallaann Hansen and Cynthia Osiecki
Curator Education: Lin Stafne-Pfisterer
Press Contact: Simen Joachim Helsvig

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