About the art collection

The DNB Savings Bank Foundation is building a significant art collection that to a great extent is being deposited at Norwegian art museums.

Haugar Museum of Art in Tønsberg opened their first permanent exhibition in 2012, with a collection of works by Andy Warhol. (Photo: Sverre Christian Jarild).

View photos of every piece in the collection, and information about which museums they are displayed.

- In dialogue with the museums we acquire works of art that they do not themselves have the means to acquire. The artworks are deposited with a long term perspective in mind, says Anders Bjørnsen who is responsible for art acquisitions in The DNB Savings Bank Foundation.

The foundation's acquisition of an extensive collection of works by Nikolai Astrup during the autumn of 2005 marked the start of its art investments. This collection is now permanently situated in Bergen Art Museum.

Main collection areas

  • Since 2009, the foundation has acquired paintings and graphic works by some of the German expressionism foremost representatives - Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Erich Heckel, Max Pechstein, Christian Rohlfs, Gabriele Münter and August Macke. The images can be seen at the National Gallery of art in Oslo.

  • Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928) is one of Norway’s most beloved artists. After several years studying abroad, he returned home to Jølster. Here, in the landscape of his native region of Western Norway, he found most of the subjects for his artwork.

    A significant private art collection of works by the Western Norwegian artist Nikolai Astrup was acquired by the DNB Savings Bank Foundation (Sparebankstiftelsen DNB) in the autumn of 2005. In connection with the purchase of the Astrup collection, the Savings Bank Foundation negotiated a long-term agreement with Bergen Art Museum to administer the collection and permanently exhibit a major part of it. The Astrup collection reflects all aspects of Nikolai Astrup’s work and consists of more than 1 100 pieces: 55 oil paintings, 94 woodcuts, 52 other types of work on paper and more than 900 works of art from his youth and childhood.

    Works by Nikolai Astrup

     

  • For the past five years, the foundation have been in the process of building up a representative collection of works by the German artist Kurt Schwitters (1887-1948). The work are permanently displayed at Henie Onstad Art Center. Previously, there existed only a handful of works by Schwitters available to the public in Norway.

    Works by Kurt Schwitters

  • Haugar Art Museum in Tønsberg opened its first permanent exhibition in 2012. The collection consists of nine works by Andy Warhol.

    Works by Andy Warhol