September marks the opening of numerous art exhibitions in European museums, making autumn and winter the ideal seasons for inspiring museum getaways. This year is no exception! From Florence to London, and featuring everything from Italian Renaissance art to cutting-edge contemporary works, European museums have something to offer everyone this season. To help with your planning, here is a guide to the best art exhibitions in European museums for autumn and winter 2025.
Best art exhibitions in European museums in autumn and winter 2025
1 – Grand Dessert, The Hague
Kunstmuseum Den Haag (the Netherlands) | 23 November 2024 – 26 October 2025
Kunstmuseum Den Haag, one of the best museums in The Hague, has a great reputation for organising some wonderful temporary exhibitions. The show you shouldn’t miss in autumn 2025 is dedicated to desserts! Drawing on their history, the variety of sweets around the world, and the origins of some ingredients, the exhibition is a must-visit for anyone with a sweet tooth. It’s beautifully designed, so expect a feast for all of your senses.
The exhibition was extended due to its popularity, with the new closing date being 26 October 2025.
⤷ Read more: Royal Winter Trip to The Hague
2 – Cartier
V&A, London (UK) | 12 April – 16 November 2025
London’s Victoria & Albert Museum is home to one of the best exhibitions in European museums in 2025, making it a perfect stop if you’re planning to visit the capital of England this autumn.
With more than 350 objects, the exhibition will showcase the best of Cartier’s designs since the beginning of the 20th century. Expect to see some iconic art pieces and lots of fantastic jewellery at this unique show.
⤷ Read more: The Best Museums in London
3 – Van Gogh and the Roulins. Together Again at Last
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (the Netherlands) | 3 October 2025 – 11 January 2026
When famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh moved to Arles in 1888, he became friends with a local postman, Joseph Roulin. The painter always aspired to become a portrait painter, and this friendship allowed him to do that at the height of his career. Vincent van Gogh made numerous portraits of Joseph Roulin and his family members, his wife, two sons, and a baby daughter.
Many of these portraits will be displayed for the first time at this autumn exhibition in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
“I’ve done the portraits of an entire family, the family of the postman whose head I did before – the man, his wife, the baby, the young boy and the 16-year-old son, all characters and very French, although they have a Russian look.”
Vincent van Gogh’s letter to his brother Theo, 1 December 1888
⤷ TIP: Do you need a guide during your visit to the Van Gogh Museum? Check out my private museum tours in Amsterdam here.
4 – John Singer Sargent. Dazzling Paris
Musée d’Orsay, Paris (France) | 23 September 2025 – 11 January 2026
The exhibition, which displays around 90 paintings, highlights the famous artist’s connection with France. John Singer Sargent is one of the most famous American painters who was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
However, his art was strongly influenced by the time he spent in Paris early in his career. This exhibition explores that with some of the artworks displayed in the French capital for the first time.
⤷ Read more: Virtual Museum Visits – Impressionists at the Musée d’Orsay
5 – Emily Kam Kngwarray
Tate Modern, London (UK) | 10 July 2025 – 11 January 2026
Emily Kam Kngwarray’s solo exhibition showcases the artwork she produced during the last decade of her life, when she started painting. This London show is her first large solo exhibition in Europe.
The self-taught artist was experimenting with various styles, often finding inspiration in her cultural heritage and the Australian landscape. This is one of the most unique art shows happening this season, so be sure to put it on your list of exhibitions happening in European museums in autumn and winter 2025.
I’m definitely planning to visit it when in London this upcoming November.
⤷ Read more: Tate Modern Museum in London – Tips for Visiting & Highlights
6 – Warhol, Pollock and Other American Spaces
Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid (Spain) | 21 October 2025 – 25 January 2026
Although the two artists are quite different in their style, this art show explores the themes that unite them. You can see this exhibition in Autumn 2025 in Spain, and join in exploring the themes of repetition, abstraction, the concept of space and background in the work of these two famous modern artists.
7 – Yayoi Kusama
Fondation Beyeler, Basel (Switzerland) | 12 October 2025 – 25 January 2026
This first retrospective Yayoi Kusama’s exhibition in Switzerland will cover 70 years of the famous artist’s career, from early artworks to some of her recent creations. You’ll also get a chance to see some of her well-known “Infinity Mirror Rooms”.
After Basel, the exhibition will travel to Museum Ludwig in Cologne (14 March – 2 August 2026) and to the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam (11 September 2026 – 17 January 2027).
⤷ Read more: Best Museums in Basel
8 – Fra Angelico
Palazzo Strozzi, Florence (Italy) | 26 September 2025 – 25 January 2026
The exhibition organised this autumn in one of the centres of Italian Renaissance art is dedicated to one of the masters of that time, Fra Angelico. Active during the 15th century, Fra Angelico is considered to be one of the best Italian painters of all time.
A representative of the early Renaissance art is especially well known for the usage of light and perspective in his paintings. With more than 140 works of art on display, the exhibition offers a great insight into the work of Fra Angelico.
⤷ Read more: 10 Cultural Spots to Visit in Florence
9 – Kandinsky. The Music of Colours
Philharmonie de Paris (France) | 15 October 2025 – 1 February 2026
Kandinsky was one of the pioneers of abstract art who was strongly influenced by the world of music. That connection between visual and musical in Kandinsky’s art is the focus of this autumn exhibition.
Organised in partnership with Centre Pompidou (that’s closed for renovation until 2030), the show offers an immersive experience during which you’ll explore Kandinsky’s artworks while listening to the music that inspired them.
⤷ Read more: Best Museums in Paris
10 – Turner and Constable
Tate Britain, London (UK) | 27 November 2025 – 12 April 2026
J. M. W. Turner and John Constable were two of the most important painters in Great Britain’s early 19th-century art. Both of them mastered landscape painting, making them big rivals during their lives. With this exhibition, Tate Britain is marking the 250th anniversary of the birth of the famous artists.
⤷ Read more: How to Visit a Museum – A Guide for the Perfect Museum Visit
With so many fantastic shows organised, the autumn and winter of 2025 will be a treat for art lovers. From the Italian Renaissance, through modern art and retrospectives of some of the best contemporary artists, be sure to visit some of these best exhibitions in European museums in autumn and winter 2025.
Are you planning to visit any of these expos? Let me know in the comments!
