5 Exhibitions You Need to See This Spring in Europe

Goya To Impressionism. Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection

The Courtauld, London, UK, February 14–May 26, 2025

Oskar Reinhart amassed a large art collection in the early 20th century, which he then bequeathed to the Swiss nation. The collection has never before been exhibited outside Switzerland. It is fitting that the Courtauld, a gallery also based on the collection of a single enthusiast, should be the first foreign gallery to show a selection of Reinhart’s purchases.

Goya to Impressionism is not a big exhibition, but it is literally a greatest hits album of some of the most important names in 19th-century art. Starting with Francisco Goya, running through Théodore Gericault and Édouard Manet, to Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne, these works are often familiar and yet startlingly fresh. Equally, the parallels with the Courtauld’s own collection make this a doubly special show.

The Courtauld have just had a huge hit with their Monet and London exhibition. This looks set to repeat that success. Book early.

Degenerate Art: Modern Art on Trial under the Nazis

Musée National Picasso, Paris, France, February 18–May 25, 2025

At the infamous Entartete Kunst exhibition held in Munich in 1937, over 600 works by more than 100 artists were paraded before the public as degenerate. It was the culmination of a long term Nazi policy to, as they described it, “purify” German collections. Around 20,000 artworks, including pieces by Vincent van Gogh, Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, and a whole host of German Expressionists were confiscated and often destroyed.

This exhibition looks at the broad context of the Nazi campaign from its origins in late 19th-century ideas of racial purity. It tells the story of the artists who lost their livelihood, were forced to flee, and in some cases suffered imprisonment and death. Otto Freundlich (1878–1943) was deported and killed in a Nazi death camp in Poland.

It might make for difficult viewing, but this is a major show that presents a thorough and scholarly survey of an important aspect of early 20th century culture.

Gustav Klimt—Pigment and Pixel

Lower Belvedere, Vienna, Austria, February 20–September 7, 2025

The subtitle of this exhibition: Rediscovering Art Through Technology gives a sense of this intriguing show that aims to use AI to enhance our viewing of some of Gustav Klimt‘s masterpieces. How did Klimt apply his paint? How did he make such pioneering use of gold? Using the latest technical analysis, the curators explore eight works from the Belvedere’s large collection of Klimt paintings in detail, including Judith with the Head of Holofernes.

The exhibition also uses AI to recreate Klimt’s now lost University of Vienna ceiling decorations. These were considered pornographic and were never installed. They were later looted by the Nazis and were probably destroyed by a fire in 1945. Now they are only known through black and white photographs. The exhibition presents them in their original size and positions on the ceiling, using the curators’ “best guess” original colors.

This might sound a bit gimmicky. Certainly the Belvedere has gone out of its way to present their findings in a dramatic, contemporary display. Ultimately, though, Klimt’s work is always compelling.

Mainie Jellett and Evie Hone: The Art of Friendship

National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland, April 10–August 10, 2025

Mainie Jellett and Evie Hone are not household names, but they should be. The National Gallery of Ireland has developed a reputation for promoting women artists and this major exhibition of over 90 works aims to put two of the most influential figures in early 20th century Irish art back on the map. Jellett (1897–1944) was a pioneer of abstraction who studied in London and Paris but remained firmly committed to promoting modernist ideas within Ireland. Hone (1894–1955) followed a similar career, travelling to Paris with Jellett in 1921, but she increasingly focused on stained glass production.

This is a mixed media show, with a strong narrative about two distinct female practitioners. They both took a Cubist aesthetic and injected their own distinctive, color-centred styles, incorporating landscape and religious imagery. If you like discovering new names, Dublin is the place to go.

Caravaggio 2025

Palazzo Barberini, Rome, Italy, March 7–July 6, 2025

This is a Jubilee year for the Catholic Church and Rome is putting on a show, including this major Caravaggio exhibition. It promises “an exceptional number” of works from collections throughout Europe and the United States. The Prado’s Ecce Homo has not been seen in Italy for centuries. Portrait of Maffeo Barberini was only rediscovered in the 1960s and has been in a private collection ever since. Three works commissioned by the banker Ottavio Costa, including Judith and Holofernes, are being reunited.

Caravaggio made his reputation in Rome and the exhibition seeks to contextualize his work in the society and politics of the city. It will also look at his art as a reflection of Counter-Reformation ideas of religion. You can also combine a visit to the show with trips to some of the many churches in the city which still hold Caravaggio’s works; for instance, San Luigi dei Francesi which houses the St Matthew paintings.

This is a blockbuster of an exhibition. It is sure to get busy. But who can resist the drama, beauty, and intensity of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio?

The Best of the Rest

This is just the tip of the exhibition iceberg. There are many other amazing art exhibitions to discover in Europe this spring! In London, you can see everything from 14th-century Siena to 20th-century Brazil. If you like discovering new names, Surrealist Ithell Colquhoun is at Tate St Ives in the UK, Norwegian realist Christian Krohg can be found at the Musée d’Orsay  and Slovenian art is getting showcased in Vienna. Pre-Impressionist Eugène Boudin is in Paris, and Post-Impressionist Pierre Bonnard is in Stockholm. The UK is going Turner crazy for his 250th anniversary. Michelangelo is coming to Copenhagen, in part through cutting edge 3D reproductions. Big one (wo)man shows include Artemisia Gentileschi in Paris, Edvard Munch in London, and Egon Schiele in Vienna.

You can check out even more shows here and if you are curious about what to see this spring in the US, take a look at our selection. Remember, wherever you live, there will be exhibitions on your doorstep. There is no excuse not to get out and see some art. Enjoy!