Featured Events in Copenhagen in July 2025 (July Updated)

Step into the late 19th century with one of the city's leading figures. Just a few steps from the National Museum, Klunkehjemmet is a time capsule from a bygone era. Take a tour of the 19th century bourgeoisie and see what was the hottest fashion, and not least the tact and tone among the rich.

On 8 May, the Glyptotek opens a new exhibition centred on Edgar Degas’ enigmatic painting Dancers Practising in the Foyer and the research that has recently led to a proposed revised dating of the work. Degas’ Obsession delves into this single painting, exploring its history and its significance in understanding Degas’ artistic practice. Ballet scenes were a central theme in Edgar Degas’ career, yet Dancers Practising in the Foyer has long been difficult to place in relation to his other ballet paintings. The painting is immediately puzzling—seemingly not finished, with very unevenly applied paint layers, drastically different tones and a dominant shadow from a partially overpainted figure. These unexplained visual mysteries sparked what became an an extensive research project led by art historian Dr. Line Clausen Pedersen, in a collaboration between the Glyptotek and the Getty in Los Angeles.

The Glyptotek holds one of the world’s finest collections of works by the French artist Paul Gauguin (1848–1903). In recent years, many of the museum’s 58 Gauguin pieces—including paintings, woodcarvings, drawings and ceramics—have been on loan to renowned museums across the globe. Now, they return home to be shown together in a presentation, offering new perspectives on Gauguin’s well-known works. The Gauguin collection is joined by the Japanese-Sāmoan contemporary artist Yuki Kihara (b. 1975) and her video work First Impressions: Paul Gauguin, recently acquired by the museum. Together, their works open a dialogue across time, cultural divides and vast oceanic distances.