Tuesday 6 June 2025
Encounter inspiring masterpieces by some of the most influential artists of all time in A Century of Modern Art, opening Saturday 7 June at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.
On loan from the Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio, this special exhibition showcases 57 paintings by 53 artists who changed the course of art history, including Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Helen Frankenthaler, Édouard Manet, William Merritt Chase, Amedeo Modigliani, Berthe Morisot, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro, Robert Rauschenberg, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Vincent van Gogh, James McNeill Whistler, and many more.
Auckland Art Gallery Senior Curator International Art Sophie Matthiesson says, “A Century of Modern Art traces the revolutionary transformations in Western painting from the 1860s to the 1960s. This timeframe witnessed the introduction of electricity, two world wars, multiple social revolutions and the nuclear age.
“It is an extraordinary chance to see these works in person and reflect on how art evolved in response to a rapidly changing world. The exhibition shows the lively exchange of artistic ideas and techniques between artists and movements in Europe and the United States of America.”
The exhibition includes legendary highlights from Toledo Museum of Art’s world-famous collection, such as Water Lilies, circa 1922, Claude Monet’s shimmering painting of his beloved pond at Giverny; Paul Gauguin’s Street in Tahiti, 1891, where smouldering colours and curving forms captured his fantasy of the tropical island; Henri Matisse’s Dancer Resting, 1940, portraying model Lydia Delectorskaya in a moment of vivid repose in his studio; and Vincent van Gogh’s unforgettable Wheatfields with Reaper, Auvers, 1890, a swirling, sun-drenched portrayal of a harvest, painted days before his sudden death. This exhibition marks the first time Toledo Museum’s collection of modern paintings has travelled together outside their home institution.
Concurrent with the exhibition is an extensive programme of talks, tours, gallery open late nights, a kids and whānau guide, as well as family-friendly activities that will run throughout winter. Check out the newly launched range of tantalising themed products in the Gallery Shop, which includes Monet and van Gogh print, totes, scarves, scrunchies and much more.
A Century of Modern Art is organised by the Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio. This exhibition is proudly supported by HSBC, Cordis, Auckland Art Gallery Foundation, NZME and indemnified by the New Zealand Government.
Tickets are available now for purchase here.
Exhibition details
A Century of Modern Art
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Saturday 7 June–Sunday 28 September 2025
Co-ordinating curator: Dr Sophie Matthiesson
Tickets: Adults (New Zealanders) $29.50, Adults (International tourists) $34.50, Members FREE, Concessions $25.50. Children 12 and under FREE (must be with an accompanying adult).
Events
Curators' in Conversation
Saturday 7 June 11.30am–12.30pm
Free, bookings recommended.
Join Auckland Art Gallery Senior Curator International Art, Sophie Matthiesson, in conversation with Erin Corrales Diaz, Curator of American Art the Toledo Museum of Art. The pair will provide insight into A Century of Modern Art revealing the curatorial decisions behind the show.
Members Curators Tour
Sunday 8 June 9–10am
Gallery Members only, $45 + booking fees
Join Erin Corrales-Diaz, Curator of American Art at the Toledo Museum of Art, and Sophie Matthiesson, Gallery Senior Curator, International Art for a before-hours tour.
New Zealand Youth Choir present 'A Century of Modern Art'
Sunday 8 June 1–1.50pm
Free
Join us for special performances by the Auckland members of the New Zealand Youth Choir as they respond to artworks in A Century of Modern Art. Hear their special choral interpretations of Monet’s Water Lilies and Van Gogh’s Wheat Fields with Reaper, Auvers.
Members Late
Thursday 12 June 6–8pm
Gallery Members only, $10 + booking fees
Join fellow art enthusiasts for an after-hours visit to A Century of Modern Art. Choose from four session times starting from 6pm.
Open Late: An Abstract Experiment
Thursdays 19 June, 17 July and 21 August, 6–9pm
Admission to the event is free but a ticket is required to access the exhibition.
The Gallery will come alive with free activations at night inspired by A Century of Modern Art. This will include DJs, jazz music, food and drink pop-ups and interactive activations. Open Lates are proudly supported by Auckland Council and the city centre targeted rate.
Music of the Month
Sunday 29 June
Free
Music of the Month is a monthly series of live music events with artists from Aotearoa and beyond. This instalment is inspired by A Century of Modern Art.
Kids & Whānau Create: What is Abstract Art?
Saturdays & Sundays in July & Every day during the school holidays (Saturday 28 June to Sunday 13 July) 11am–3pm
Free
Find the abstract paintings in A Century of Modern Art, then create your own stamps with simple shapes and forms to compose a masterpiece of your own.
Art History Lecture Series | Van Gogh & Gauguin online
Monday 14 July–Monday 18 August 7.30-8.30pm online every Monday
Join art historian Linda Yang for an informative and accessible six-week online lecture series that provides foundational knowledge of the artists Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.
Art History Lecture Series | Van Gogh & Gauguin auditorium
Wednesday 16 Jul 2025—Wednesday 20 Aug 10.30-11.30am auditorium every Wednesday
Join art historian Linda Yang for an informative and accessible six-week in-person lecture series that provides foundational knowledge of the artists Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.
Check the Gallery’s website for full event details.
Highlights from the Gallery Shop
Keith Grinter Monet Water Lilies Tumbler
$75
Make any meal a masterpiece when accompanied with a drink in these gorgeous glass tumblers like no others! Reminiscent of early humans gazing into a fire, Keith Grinter’s hand-blown glass tumblers transfix your gaze with a dazzling dance of kinetic, kaleidoscopic colour.
Monet Waterlilies Silk Scrunchie
$39
Master the art of a perfect ponytail with this oversized mulberry silk scrunchie; featuring a timeless example of Monet’s work Water Lilies, circa 1922.
Van Gogh Wheat Fields Silk Scrunchie
$39
Secure your locks with a perfectly oversized scrunchie. This luxurious silk hairpiece features Vincent van Gogh’s Wheat Fields with Reaper, Auvers, 1890.