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Rasmus Meyer

Opening hours

Wednesday-Friday: 11.00-18.00 Saturday-Sunday: 11.00-16.00

Collection

The collection assembled by businessman Rasmus Meyer has given its name to this museum.

Here, you will also find the third largest Edvard Munch collection in the world.

Across two floors, you wander through the golden age of Norwegian art history, from 1880 to 1905 and onwards to 1920. We show works by artists like J.C. Dahl, Hans Gude, Harriet Backer, Christian Krohg, Kitty Kielland, Nikolai Astrup and Erik Werenskiold, as well as Norwegian Matisse students Henrik Sørensen and Jean Heiberg.

We also show historic Bergen interiors in the elegant Blumentahl room with its wall and ceiling paintings from around 1760 covering the entire room.

In Rasmus Meyer you find our permanent exhibitions. Very few changes are made to the selection on display. Still, you will easily be tempted to return to the museum several times – perhaps to discover some new favourites.

Please note: Most works by Harriet Backer are on loan and not available.

Visit Rasmus Meyer?

Opening hours and information

The art collector Rasmus Meyer

Bergensian businessman Rasmus Meyer assembled an enormous art collection during his lifetime. Quite cleverly, he bought a number of principal works from Norwegian artists by the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

His dream was a public building where the works of art could be exhibited for a larger audience.

Rasmus Meyer ended his own life in 1916, and his heirs donated his collection to Bergen municipality. They stipulated one condition to the municipality: that a public museum should be constructed for the collection.

The building was designed by architect Ole Landmark and was completed in 1924.

Read more about Rasmus Meyer and his collection

Foto: Dag Fosse / Kode

The Edvard Munch Collection

Today, Kode and Bergen are home to the world’s third largest Edvard Munch collection. It consists of more than 100 works on paper and 50 paintings, of which most are from Rasmus Meyer’s collections. Rasmus Meyer was among the first distinguished collectors of Munch’s art.

In the collection you find major works from all periods of Munch’s artistic career. Among the highlights are “Jealousy”, “Melancholy”, “Woman in Three Stages” and “Evening on Karl Johan Street”.

Read more about our Edvard Munch collection.

Foto: Dag Fosse / Kode

A museum guide is looking at a large painting, while talking to a group of visitors.

Foto: Thor Brødreskift

Three young people are sitting on a bench in the Rasmus Meyer collection, with paintings by Christian Krohg in the background.

Foto: Dag Fosse / Kode