Rasmus Meyer´s Collection and Edvard Munch

Rasmus Meyer passed away in 1916. His children then donated their father’s collection of art and historical furniture to the city of Bergen.

Meyer's dream was a public building where the works of art could be exhibited for a larger audience. Today, as part of Kode, the donation comprises one of the finest collections of art from the Norwegian "golden age" (1880–1905).

The beautiful museum building enables you to have a delightful wander through historical interiors from Bergen while exploring the art.

Highlights from "the Golden Age"

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.

The Munch Collection in Bergen

Today, Kode and Bergen are home to the world’s third largest Edvard Munch collection.

The Kode collection consists of more than 100 works on paper and 50 paintings. It originates from the collection Rasmus Meyer built up in the early 20th century, in close collaboration with the artist himself.

The collection was intended to follow Munch's artistic development, and covered all the various phases of Munch's artistry up to then.

The museum's collection of Munch's pictures has since been increased with Bergen Billedgalleri's purchases, and not least with Rolf Stenersen's gift to Bergen in 1971.

Follows Munch through life

In this new permanent exhibition, we can follow the young Munch from the first naturalistic paintings, through experiments with form and color and up to his main artistic project - the Frieze of Life.

This boundary-breaking series about modern man's innermost longings and anguish turned the perception of what art can be upside down.

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”.

From these expressionist masterpieces, we follow the mature artist's path towards new interests and to the brighter images from his later artistry.

Nikolai Astrup at Kode

Now you can enjoy the largest ever presentation of Astrup in Rasmus Meyer, with around 15 works.

Nikolai Astrup (1880—1928) was an innovative painter, graphic artist and landscape architect.

The Astrup collection at Kode shows the breadth of Astrup’s life, the development of his distinct style, and his interest in the landscape and folklore of Western Norway.

Rasmus Meyer and Nikolai Astrup

In May 1908, Rasmus Meyer went to Nikolai Astrup's big exhibition at Bergen Kunstforening - which at the time had its premises at the Permanenten.

The collector was delighted with the young western artist, and bought several paintings. The exhibition was the start of an important collaboration, where Astrup himself was able to influence the selection.

To Astrup's disappointment, not all Astrup pictures were part of the donation of Rasmus Meyer's collection in 1916. Among other things, the family wanted to keep the monumental "Midsummer Eve Bonfire" from 1915.

Later, however, several of the pictures Meyer bought from Astrup came to the museum, among long-term loans from private owners.

This spring, for the first time, we will bring these paintings together again in Rasmus Meyer's collections.