When you live in a city like Paris, spoilt for choice of museums that each has its own niche collection, it is actually refreshing to visit the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where seven hundred years of art can be found under one roof. Each room we stepped in has its broad theme, some pieces bearing familiar names while others form new lessons in (European) art for me. They made me yearn for some free time to follow an art history class…

These are some of my favourites at the SMK, which I wish everyone could – and should – see in person. They evoked various sentiments in me, from awe to sadness, and some were just simply fascinating. I also like how we used to be able to see transition of one art period to another, but we’re definitely not seeing much of anymore; many contemporary artists “own” their styles.

Another major plus point of the SMK is the non-crowding of art within any room. Anyone who has been to the Louvre knows just how overwhelming it could get when a room contains several rows of paintings from ceiling to floor – cricked neck is a very real concern! Moreover, pieces too high are barely looked at by most, and even when one tries, one couldn’t see much of the details. When it comes to art gallery, less is definitely more. So. Much. More.