Page 34 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

32  EUROPE A T A GLANCE

Great Museums and Galleries

The museums and galleries of Europe include national
collections, the former collections of Europe’s royal and
noble families, and a whole host of smaller local institutions.
The museums highlighted here are those with the largest and
richest collections, which ought to be included in the itinerary
of every visitor to Europe. Between them, they contain many
of the world’s best-known and best-loved artistic
treasures. These range from archaeological finds Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
from the early civilizations of the Middle East, The Rijksmuseum (see pp248–50) is
through pieces from Egyptian, Greek, and Roman known for its Rembrandts and other
great Dutch paintings of the 17th
times, to masterpieces of the Renaissance and century. Frans Hals’ Wedding Portrait
other great periods of European art. is a joyful celebration of Dutch life.

British Museum, London
A vast collection of
antiquities and other
artifacts from all over the
world is housed inside
Britain’s national museum
(see pp60–61). There is a
fascinating display of
mummies and other exhibits
from Ancient Egypt.

Louvre, Paris
The celebrated home of
the Mona Lisa and the
Venus de Milo, the Louvre
also houses Jean
Watteau’s melancholy
study Gilles or Pierrot
(c.1717), one of many
French works on display
(see pp158–60).

Prado, Madrid
The former royal collection in Madrid
(see pp278–80) contains the finest
assembly of Spanish paintings in the
world. Of many highly individual works,
Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son is one
of the most powerful.

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