Art Museum

Stenersen Museum

Oslo Municipality, Norway

Stenersen Museum is an art museum in Oslo Municipality, Norway. 20 works from its collection are in this catalog, including Edvard Munch.

About Stenersen Museum

The Stenersen Museum (Norwegian: Stenersenmuseet) is a Museum of Fine Arts located in Oslo, Norway.

Stenersen Museum opened in 1994. It principally features exhibitions of contemporary art. The museum art exhibited originated with three private art collections which were donated to the city.

In 1933, the family of Amaldus Nielsen donated an art collection to the City of Oslo. In 1936, the prominent financier and author Rolf E. Stenersen donated his collection of Norwegian art to the Municipality of Aker, which was later merged with the City of Oslo. In 1972, the Ravensberg collection was donated to the City of Oslo by the widow of artist Ludvig O. Ravensberg (1871–1958).

Overview & Identity

The Stenersen Museum was a fine arts museum located in Oslo, Norway, which opened in 1994. It was established to house and exhibit three significant private art collections donated to the city: those of Amaldus Nielsen, Rolf E. Stenersen, and Ludvig O. Ravensberg. The museum primarily focused on contemporary art and Norwegian art history, serving as a dedicated space for these specific bequests before its collections were integrated into the new Munch Museum complex.

History & Founding

The museum's foundation rests on three major donations spanning several decades. In 1933, the family of artist Amaldus Nielsen donated his collection to the City of Oslo. In 1936, financier and author Rolf E. Stenersen donated his extensive collection of Norwegian art to the Municipality of Aker, which later merged with Oslo.

Finally, in 1972, the widow of artist Ludvig O. Ravensberg donated the Ravensberg collection to the City of Oslo. These three distinct collections formed the core of the museum when it opened its doors in 1994.

The Collections

The museum's holdings were defined by the three private donors. Rolf E. Stenersen's collection was particularly notable for containing one of the world's largest assemblages of works by Edvard Munch, alongside works by other Norwegian artists. The Amaldus Nielsen collection contributed significant Norwegian art, while the Ravensberg collection added further depth to the museum's representation of Norwegian artistic production. Together, these collections provided insight into a unique period of art history extending over nearly a century.

Relocation & Merger

Plans were finalized in 2008 for the Stenersen Museum to relocate to the Bjørvika area of Oslo, occupying a new building near the Oslo Opera House together with the Munch Museum. This project was revived in 2013 after a period of political uncertainty, with construction starting in 2015. In the summer of 2021, the collections were moved from their previous locations to the new MUNCH building.

Consequently, the Stenersen Museum ceased to exist as an independent entity, with its collections now permanently housed and exhibited within the Munch Museum.

Significance & Legacy

The Stenersen Museum played a crucial role in preserving and presenting the private art collections of three prominent Norwegians, ensuring their public accessibility. Its legacy is now continued through the Munch Museum (MUNCH), which integrates the Stenersen, Nielsen, and Ravensberg collections into its broader mandate. This merger allows for a more comprehensive presentation of Norwegian art history, from the 19th century to the present, under one roof in a state-of-the-art facility in Bjørvika.