Treasures of British Art

Treasures of British Art: The Berger Collection showcases about 60 paintings gifted to the museum by the Berger Collection Educational Trust (BCET) in 2018. The BCET’s gift is the largest gift of European old masters to the DAM since the museum received the Kress Collection in the 1950s. The exhibition presents a chronological selection of works ranging from the 1400s through the late 1800s, telling the story of Britain’s rich cultural history. The exhibition invites visitors to immerse themselves in the places, personalities, and events that shaped a nation over the course of five centuries.

Treasures of British Art presents 500 years of British cultural history through the stories of its people, captured by the enduring brilliance of artists of the time. The exhibition features devotional images, portraits, landscapes, and sporting scenes by the greatest artists of the British School—including Thomas Gainsborough, Thomas Lawrence and John Constable—as well as non-British artists who spent significant time in Britain—such as the Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck and American artists Benjamin West and John Singer Sargent.

This exhibition presents groundbreaking results of recent research conducted on the collection’s renowned group of portraits from the Tudor era. Among the findings: the portrait of Henry VIII is one of seven stylistically similar Tudor royal portraits that were likely all painted by the same artist. What’s more, five of these pictures—including the Berger Henry VIII—were found to have been painted on wood from the same tree.

Beyond the forensic discoveries, visitors will be fascinated by the timeless relevance of artwork subjects featured in Treasures of British Art. The exhibition displays how international exchange influenced British art, history, and culture. Not since the DAM’s 1999 landmark exhibition 600 Years of British Painting have so many works from the Berger Collection been on view.

A catalog and other exhibition-related items are available in the Pop-Up Shop at the Denver Art Museum and on our online shop.

This exhibition was organized by the DAM and curated by Kathleen Stuart, curator of the Berger Collection at the DAM.