European Art Before 1800 Galleries

The Denver Art Museum’s Davis W. Moore Galleries dedicate nearly 7,000 square feet to European art before 1800, featuring approximately 65 works drawn from the museum’s collection of European art to present a chronological history through major themes. The installation traces the development of stylistic themes as they evolved over time, from the golden surfaces of Christian altarpieces of the 1300s and 1400s, to the grand and dramatic portraits of the 1600s, and the ideal landscapes of the late 1700s.

The new gallery presentation is enhanced by the inclusion of select works from the Berger Collection, a group of notable British artworks gifted to the museum in 2018 by the Berger Collection Educational Trust. This significant gift enhances the breadth and depth of works in the museum’s European collection and enables revitalized narratives in the galleries, which now tell new stories about the evolution of European art from the Medieval through the Early Modern periods.

Designed to be an accessible entry point to European art for all visitors, the galleries introduce historical contexts and provide audiences with the necessary background to understand and appreciate the objects on display. The reconceived and relocated Bernadette Berger Discovery Library introduces the collections and works being presented. The European and American Art Before 1900 department’s collection expands into level 2 of the adjacent Hamilton Building, where guests can continue their exploration with the 19th Century in European and American Art galleries.