Exploring Oslo - Norway - page 121

works by Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Gerhard Richter, or less familiar Norwe-
gians, including Arne Ekeland, Knut Rose, or Bjørn Carlsen. Allow 40 minutes.
Dronningensgatan 4. & 22-93-60-60. www.af-moma.no. Free admission. Tues-Wed and Fri 11am-5pm;
Thurs 11am-7pm; Sat-Sun noon-5pm. T-banen: Stortinget. Tram: 1, 2, 10, or 12. Bus: 27, 29, 38, 51, or 56.
Aula (Great Hall) Admirers of the work of Edvard Munch will want to see
the Great Hall of the university, where Scandinavia's greatest artist painted
murals. Until it moved to larger headquarters at the City Hall, this used to be
the site of the Nobel Prize award ceremony. Plan on spending 20 minutes here.
University of Oslo, Karl Johans Gate 47. & 22-85-95-55. Free admission. June 20-Aug 20 daily 10am-3pm.
T-banen: Stortinget.
Edvard Munch Museum Devoted exclusively to the works of Edvard
Munch (1863-1944), Scandinavia's leading painter, this collection was his gift
to the city. It traces his work from early realism to latter-day expressionism.
Munch's art is Norway's most well known contribution to the history of world
art. The collection comprises 1,100 paintings, some 4,500 drawings, around
18,000 prints, numerous graphic plates, six sculptures, and important docu-
mentary material. The exhibits change periodically. One of the most popular
exhibits here, Munch's The Scream, was stolen off the wall in broad daylight in
August of 2004. This Munch masterpiece, valued at $75 million, was one of
four versions the artist painted. Plan to spend 40 minutes here.
Tøyengate 53. & 23-49-35-00. Admission 65NOK ($9.25) adults, 35NOK ($4.95) children. June-Aug daily
10am-6pm; Sept-May Tues-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat-Sun 11am-5pm. T-banen: Tøyen. Bus: 60.
Museet for Samtidskunst (National Museum of Contemporary Art)
Opened in 1990, this collection of works acquired by the state after World War
II presents an array of international and Norwegian contemporary art. Previ-
ously grouped together in the National Gallery, the works have more room to
“breathe” here, in what was once the central bank of Norway. Exhibits change
frequently; allot 30 minutes for your visit.
Bankplassen 4. & 22-86-22-10. Free admission. Tues-Wed and Fri 10am-5pm; Thurs 10am-8pm; Sat
11am-4pm; Sun 11am-5pm. Tram: 10 or 12. Bus: 60.
Nasjonalgalleriet (National Gallery) This state museum, a short
walk from the Students' Grove, is recommended chiefly for its paintings by Nor-
wegians but also for its intriguing collection of works by world-famous artists,
including Cézanne and Matisse. After walking up the main staircase, which dis-
plays Norwegian sculpture from 1910 to 1945, be sure to take a look at the
works of Gustav Vigeland and the two rooms devoted to Edvard Munch.
Munch's much-reproduced work The Scream, one of four versions, was painted
in 1893. It was stolen in 1994 and, unlike the version taken from the Munch
Museum in 2004, was subsequently recovered. The leading Norwegian Roman-
tic landscape painter Johan Christian Dahl (1788-1857) is also well represented
here, as are three outstanding Norwegian realists: Harriet Backer, a leading
painter in the 1880s, was famous for interior portraits of Norwegian life; Chris-
tian Krohg painted subjects from seafarers to prostitutes; and Erik Werenskiold
is noted for his Peasant Funeral. Allow 2 hours for your visit.
Universitesgata 13. & 22-20-04-04. Free admission. Mon, Wed, and Fri 10am-6pm; Thurs 10am-8pm; Sat
10am-4pm; Sun 11am-4pm. Tram: 7 or 11.
Stenersen Museum Part of the City of Oslo Art Collections, this
museum is the venue for a series of the most avant-garde temporary exhibitions