Symbolism emerged in France during the 1880s as a decisive rejection of naturalism, realism, and the positivist faith in observable fact. Where the Impressionists had chased light across haystacks, the Symbolists turned inward, pursuing the invisible architecture of dreams, myths, and spiritual states. The movement drew its earliest energy from poetry. Ch…
Works of Symbolism are held in 343 museums worldwide, including National Gallery of Art, Munch Museum, and Musée d'Orsay.
Key artists
Work by these painters is spread across the museums listed below.
🇦🇲 Armenia
1 museum
Also in ArmeniaNational Gallery of Armenia (38)
🇦🇹 Austria
2 museums
Also in AustriaFührermuseum (76)Belvedere (53)
🇧🇪 Belgium
1 museum
Also in BelgiumMuseum of Fine Arts Ghent (MSK) (61)
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
1 museum
Also in Czech RepublicNational Gallery Prague (46)
🇫🇮 Finland
1 museum
Also in FinlandFinnish National Gallery (144)
🇫🇷 France
4 museums
Also in FranceMusée d'Orsay (463)Musée des Beaux-Arts de la ville de Paris (76)Musée Rodin (39)Musée des Beaux-Arts de Quimper (36)
🇩🇪 Germany
4 museums
Also in GermanyMunich Central Collecting Point (178)Alte Nationalgalerie (55)Städel Museum (30)Wallraf–Richartz Museum (30)
🇯🇵 Japan
2 museums
Also in JapanNational Museum of Western Art (57)Matsukata Collection (31)
🇳🇱 Netherlands
4 museums
Also in NetherlandsKunstmuseum Den Haag (326)Van Gogh Museum (99)Kröller-Müller Museum (60)Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (40)
🇳🇴 Norway
4 museums
Also in NorwayMunch Museum (1189)National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design (74)Art Museums of Bergen (42)Stenersen Museum (39)
🇵🇱 Poland
2 museums
Also in PolandNational Museum in Warsaw (172)National Museum in Kraków (108)
🇷🇺 Russia
1 museum
Also in RussiaHermitage Museum (64)
🇪🇸 Spain
2 museums
Also in SpainThyssen-Bornemisza Museum (36)Poster Section (33)
🇸🇪 Sweden
1 museum
Also in SwedenNationalmuseum (73)
🇨🇭 Switzerland
2 museums
Also in SwitzerlandKunsthaus Zürich (175)Kunstmuseum Basel (59)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
8 museums
Also in United KingdomNational Gallery (150)Tate (140)Birmingham Museums Trust (104)Leighton House (77)Manchester Art Gallery (66)Victoria and Albert Museum (44)Fitzwilliam Museum (33)Lady Lever Art Gallery (32)
🇺🇸 United States
10 museums
Also in United StatesNational Gallery of Art (1639)Yale Center for British Art (263)Sidney Janis Gallery (173)Metropolitan Museum of Art (105)Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (79)Museum of Modern Art (66)Art Institute of Chicago (44)Harvard Art Museums (42)Museum of Fine Arts Boston (33)Smithsonian American Art Museum (31)
293 more museums hold Symbolism works with smaller collections, not listed here.
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Browse Symbolism Prints →Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I see Symbolism paintings?
Symbolism works are held in 343 museums worldwide, including National Gallery of Art, Munch Museum, and Musée d'Orsay.How many museums have Symbolism artworks?
343 museums worldwide hold works by Symbolism artists.Which is the best museum for Symbolism?
National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. holds the largest Symbolism collection with 1639 works.