The National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo presented an exhibition featuring master drawings from the collections of the Nationalmuseum. Thanks to a major loan approximately 80 works by artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt and many more were on display there, from July until the end of September 2025.

The Nationalmuseum is one of the world's oldest art museums, housing a broad-ranging collection that includes fine arts, decorative arts and design works, from the Medieval period through the present-day. A part of the collection that is perhaps less known to the public consists of a great number of older so-called master drawings of the highest international standard. The exhibition in Tokyo featured a selection of approximately 80 works from this collection, ranging in date from the Renaissance to the Baroque periods, and presented by region in four sections, Italy, France, Germany and The Netherlands.

The Museum of Western Art made the selection of works in collaboration with the Nationalmuseum, which also contributed scientific expertise to the exhibition project.

Annibale Carracci, Portrait of the artist Ludovico Cardi, called Cigoli. Red chalk and brown ink on paper. Photo: Cecilia Heisser/Nationalmuseum.

René Chauveau, Design for the ceiling of the hall at the Tessinska Palace. Pen and black ink, brush and opaque and transparent watercolours, shellgold, on paper. Photo: Cecilia Heisser/Nationalmuseum.

Hendrick Goltzius, Self portrait. Black, red and yellow chalk, blue and green wash, traces of white chalk, black framing line, on paper. Photo: Cecilia Heisser/Nationalmuseum.

Albrecht Dürer, Portrait of a young woman with braided hair. Black chalk and charcoal, framing line, on paper. Photo: Cecilia Heisser/Nationalmuseum.

Cornelis Visscher, Sleeping dog. Black and red chalk, black wash, black framing line, on paper. Photo: Hans Thorwid/Nationalmuseum.

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, The arrest of Christ. Pen and brown ink, brown and grey wash, corrections in white, framing line, on paper. Photo: Hans Thorwid/Nationalmuseum.