Welcome to “An Audience with Art”
Today Her Majesty The Queen opened the new exhibition "An Audience with Art. The National Museum at the Queen Sonja Art Stable". The opening took place on a digital platform, where the exhibit will be available until it can be viewed in person.
The exhibition includes some of the National Museum’s best-known works, and offers pictorial art, sculpture and applied art. The display includes ancient sculptures and modern design. There are happy reunions with famous works that have not been seen for some time, as well as works that will be unfamiliar to many people – often in new constellations.
In Norwegian: Queen Sonja opens “An Audience with Art”, and the Queen herself is responsible for the online opening. The Queen also shows several of the works while discussing them with the Director of the National Museum, Karin Hindsbo. Photo: The Royal Court / National Museum
The opening today took place on a digital platform. For the time being, the exhibition will only be available online in the form of a special 3D presentation that provides a sample of what viewers can look forward to. The plan is for the doors of the Queen Sonja Art Stable to be opened for in-person viewing as soon as infection control measures are relaxed to allow this.
We have a deep need to see the artworks that we love, and that we have missed so much!
"We have a deep need to see the artworks that we love, and that we have missed so much," the Queen said at the opening.
Erik Werenskiold’s “September” is among the works shown at the exhibition. Photo: National Museum / Børre Høstland
Digital preview
While we are waiting for the exhibition to be available physically, viewers can enjoy a digital preview of what they have to look forward to. The National Museum has prepared a 3D presentation that enables viewers to move around in the exhibition:
Collaboration
"An Audience with Art" has been arranged in close collaboration between the National Museum, Her Majesty Queen Sonja and the Royal Collections.
"The National Museum will open its massive doors at City Hall Square next year. While we are waiting for the big opening celebration, the museum wanted to share the country’s common artistic heritage with everyone – and give us a sample of what we can expect when the museum is completed and ready to welcome the public. To accomplish this the museum looked for partners to collaborate with, and it was not difficult for them to persuade us here at the Royal Palace to take part," the Queen said.
The new exhibition offers pictorial art, sculpture and design. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB
Return to the Royal Palace
For a few of the works, this is not the first time they have been granted an audience at the Royal Palace. Back in 1841 permission was granted to exhibit works of art at the Royal Palace, which was still under construction. The monumental building designed to house the national art collection had not yet been completed.
"The move onto the third floor began on an autumn day 180 years ago. Today that is part of the Royal Apartments, where the King and I have our daily meals," the Queen said.
"A total of 79 paintings, as well as works in plaster, were distributed throughout three rooms – in close proximity to each other. The National Museum, which had the same name then as it does today, remained in the Royal Palace until 1845. The public was very enthusiastic about the new museum, and flocked to see it. The newspaper Morgenbladet wrote in 1943: "We Nordic residents are receptive to what is big and beautiful."
Back at the Royal Palace: Thomas Fearnley’s “Grindelwaldgletscheren” (“The Grindelwald Glacier”). Photo: National Museum
Jan Davidsz. de Heem’s "Stilleben med østers og vinglass" ("Still Life with Oysters and Wine") and Thomas Fearnley’s "Grindelwaldgletscheren" ("The Grindelwald Glacier") are the two paintings that are now back at the Royal Palace.
"We can almost wish them welcome home!"
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Kunstaudiens: Oda Krohg
Painter Oda Krohg, painted by Christian Krohg in 1888, is in audience at the Queen Sonja Art Stable. Photo: National Museum / Børre HøstlandPhoto 1 of 12 -
Kunstaudiens: Dronningen
Queen Sonja launched the new exhibition “An Audience with Art”. Photo: The Royal Court / National MuseumPhoto 2 of 12 -
Kunstaudiens
Both Oda and Christian Krohg are represented at the exhibition – as artists and as motifs. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTBPhoto 3 of 12 -
Kunstaudiens: Munch
Edvard Munch is one of the most prominent artists featured at the exhibition. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTBPhoto 4 of 12 -
Kunstaudiens
The exhibition “An Audience with Art” shows works from Norway’s largest art collection. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTBPhoto 5 of 12 -
Kunstaudiens
The new exhibition offers pictorial art, sculpture and design. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTBPhoto 6 of 12 -
Kunstaudiens
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Kunstaudiens
Applied art and design are also part of the exhibition “An Audience with Art”. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTBPhoto 8 of 12 -
Kunstaudiens: Werenskiold
Erik Werenskiold’s “September” is among the works shown at the exhibition. Photo: National Museum / Børre HøstlandPhoto 9 of 12 -
Kunstaudiens: Kittelsen
Theodor Kittelsen: “De tolv villendende” (“The Twelve Wild Ducks”). Photo: National MuseumPhoto 10 of 12 -
Kunstaudiens
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Kunstaudiens
Cynthia Osiecki of the National Museum is one of the curators of the exhibition. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTBPhoto 12 of 12
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EnlargeOpening hours 2024
On exhibition: Royal Photographers
- 16 February - 23 June:
Open Thursday to Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00.
Closed for 17 May (Constitution Day). - 24 June - 18 August:
Open every day from 11:00 to 17:00. - 19 August - 15 December:
Open Thursday to Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00. - Closed for Christmas
- 2 January - 19 January 2025
Open Thursday to Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00.
Please note
The Queen Sonja Art Stable is a small venue and can not keep open when mounting new exhibitions. Changes in opening hours are announced on Facebook and here on Royalcourt.no.
Tickets to the Art Stable
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
- Adults: NOK 140,-
- Students: NOK 70,-
- Children (6-17): NOK 70,-
- Familiy ticket: NOK 350,-
- Children under the age of 6 are admitted free of charge
- Escorts of persons with disabilities are admitted free of charge
- Groups up to 25 persons: 3 500
For group tickets, please contact us at [email protected] or use the form (in Norwegian)
At the exhibition
"An Audience with Art" showed 80 artworks by Norwegian and international artists. Among them were:
- Nikolai Astrup
- Harriet Backer
- Peder Balke
- Thomas Fearnley
- Johannes Flintoe
- Theodor Kittelsen
- Christian Krohg
- Oda Krohg
- Edvard Munch
- Eilif Peterssen
- John Savio
- Harald Solberg
- Henrik Sørensen
- Adolph Tidemand
- Erik Werenskiold
- Louise Bourgeois
- Edgar Degas
- Henri Matisse
- Pablo Picasso
- Auguste Rodin
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