European Painting

Imagine yourself taking part in a lively wedding dance or gazing upon a cheerless cemetery. Picture a scene where a woman commits an act of heroism to save her people. These images are just a few of those you will find in the European Paintings collection, recognized as one of the finest in the United States. It includes work by well-known painters of religious imagery, portraits, landscapes and scenes from everyday life. The collection features nearly 1,000 paintings that date from the 1100s until 1950.

"Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes," 1523-1525, Artemisia Gentileschi, Italian; oil on canvas. Detroit Institute of Arts.