Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum 100th Anniversary: Swedish Painting — Nordic Light, Everyday Radiance

This exhibition offers a full-fledged introduction to paintings from the golden age of Swedish art, which have drawn global attention in recent years.
With the full cooperation of the Nationalmuseum, Sweden, it approaches the uniquely Nordic sensibility of living richly in harmony with nature through captivating paintings created in Sweden from the late 19th to the early 20th century.

This will be the first special exhibition commemorating a milestone year for the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026.

[Highlights of the exhibition]
1. 100% Sweden!—Exploring the uniquely Nordic sensibility of living richly with nature
All works on display are by Swedish artists. The works express Sweden’s austere yet abundant nature and a warm gaze toward everyday life. With the keywords “Nature,” “Light,” and “The Radiance of the Everyday,” visitors will sense in the works the roots of the wellbeing-oriented lifestyle that characterizes Sweden today.

2. The gaze of artists who pioneered new forms of expression
In the latter half of the 19th century, Swedish painters sought subjects that expressed their nation’s identity and methods of expression worthy of them. Moving away from the Realism and Naturalism they had studied in France, they forged distinctive approaches that emphasized personal emotion and lyrical atmosphere. This exhibition focuses on works from the 1880s to 1915, considered the golden age of Swedish art.

3. An exhibition dedicated to Swedish painting that has recently been attracting worldwide attention!
In recent years, large-scale exhibitions have been held in countries such as France and the United States, and Swedish painting has been drawing international attention. With the full cooperation of the Nationalmuseum, Sweden, this exhibition brings together masterpieces of Swedish painting, including works by national painter Carl Larsson and by August Strindberg, also known as a playwright. Through a collection impressive in both quality and quantity, it presents fresh allure in Nordic art.