Artnet News has published a preview of five essential Old Masters exhibitions scheduled for 2026, spanning museums from Amsterdam to New York. The shows include a blockbuster presentation of Ovid's *Metamorphoses* at the Rijksmuseum and Galleria Borghese, a monographic survey of Swedish sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel at the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm and the Morgan Library & Museum in New York, and other exhibitions that connect classical art with contemporary appeal. The article highlights how these exhibitions spotlight both household names like Raphael and lesser-known figures, while also exploring themes from Ovid's myths to tarot imagery.
These exhibitions matter because they demonstrate how the category of 'Old Masters' is evolving into a dynamic framework for attracting new audiences, rather than remaining a sealed-off historical niche. By pairing centuries-old works with modern and contemporary artists—such as Louise Bourgeois and Ulay in the *Metamorphoses* show—museums are bridging classical and contemporary appeal, making art history relevant to today's viewers. The shows also introduce figures like Sergel to U.S. audiences for the first time, expanding the canon and offering fresh research into artistic networks and techniques.