Welcome

Open 27 Feb–7 Jun 2020

YOUNG REMBRANDT

Witness the meteoric rise of Rembrandt, from his first tentative works as a teenager in his home town of Leiden, to the sublime masterpieces he produced in Amsterdam ten years later.

The Ashmolean is the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology, founded in 1683. Our world famous collections range from Egyptian mummies to contemporary art, telling human stories across cultures and across time.

We are open every day, 10am–5pm. Admission is free.

FREE EXHIBITIONS AND DISPLAYS

Until 22 March 2020

EVENTS NOT TO MISS

THE LIFE AND WORKS OF JOZEF CZAPSKI (1896-1993)

A disciple of Bonnard and Cézanne, Józef Czapski was a Polish painter, author, and critic notable for his singular...

A disciple of Bonnard and Cézanne, Józef Czapski was a Polish painter, author, and critic notable for his singular pursuit of the world around him. Gain an insight into his approach...

A disciple of Bonnard and Cézanne, Józef Czapski was a Polish painter, author, and critic notable for his singular pursuit of the world around him. Gain an insight into his approach and his struggles to be true...

Tue 25 Feb, 1–2pm

Lecture Theatre

ASHMOLEAN AFTER HOURS

We will be keeping our doors open late so you can explore the museum after normal closing time. Take in a talk,...

We will be keeping our doors open late so you can explore the museum after normal closing time. Take in a talk, listen to some live music, or relax at the bar with friends after wo...

We will be keeping our doors open late so you can explore the museum after normal closing time. Take in a talk, listen to some live music, or relax at the bar with friends after work.

Fri 28 Feb, 5–8pm

Whole Museum

REMBRANDT AND THE CRYING BOY: A QUESTION OF METHOD

Join Martin Royalton-Kisch to discuss the attribution of a newly-discovered drawing.

Fri 28 Feb, 6–7pm

Lecture Theatre

Join and Support – Members of the Ashmolean

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2020 - DAME PAULA REGO

Explore the work of Dame Paula Rego, who is revered for her unflinching images of women, often living under oppressive...

Explore the work of Dame Paula Rego, who is revered for her unflinching images of women, often living under oppressive political conditions. She draws upon the real and imagined, using...

Explore the work of Dame Paula Rego, who is revered for her unflinching images of women, often living under oppressive political conditions. She draws upon the real and imagined, using her own experiences and references...

Tue 10 Mar, 2–4pm

Lecture Theatre

thomas moran autumn afternoon the wissahickson

A NATION AT A CROSSROADS: THE UNITED STATES IN THOMAS MORAN'S AUTUMN AFTERNOON, THE WISSAHICKON

Moran’s Autumn Afternoon, the Wissahickon pictures 19th-century America at its most bucolic and pastoral. It...

Moran’s Autumn Afternoon, the Wissahickon pictures 19th-century America at its most bucolic and pastoral. It was painted, however, amidst a conflict that threatened to tear the young...

Moran’s Autumn Afternoon, the Wissahickon pictures 19th-century America at its most bucolic and pastoral. It was painted, however, amidst a conflict that threatened to tear the young country apart.

Sat 21 Mar, 11–12pm

Lecture Theatre

ASHMOLEAN AFTER HOURS

We will be keeping our doors open late so you can explore the museum after normal closing time. Take in a talk,...

We will be keeping our doors open late so you can explore the museum after normal closing time. Take in a talk, listen to some live music, or relax at the bar with friends after wo...

We will be keeping our doors open late so you can explore the museum after normal closing time. Take in a talk, listen to some live music, or relax at the bar with friends after work.

Fri 27 Mar, 5–8pm

Whole Museum

Ashmolean Forecourt at Night with Rembrandt Banners

YOUNG REMBRANDT: AFTER HOURS

Join us for an evening celebrating Rembrandt and Dutch culture.

Fri 24 Apr, 5–8pm

Whole Museum

REMBRANDT AND ORANGE

Learn about the young Rembrandt's rise to fame.

Fri 24 Apr, 6–7pm

Lecture Theatre

ASHMOLEAN AFTER HOURS

We will be keeping our doors open late so you can explore the museum after normal closing time. Take in a talk,...

We will be keeping our doors open late so you can explore the museum after normal closing time. Take in a talk, listen to some live music, or relax at the bar with friends after wo...

We will be keeping our doors open late so you can explore the museum after normal closing time. Take in a talk, listen to some live music, or relax at the bar with friends after work.

Fri 29 May, 5–8pm

Whole Museum

Membership gives you unlimited access to exhibitions, members-only previews and curator-led talks and tours, a members’ magazine and events handbook sent to your door, as well as discounts across our shop, restaurant and café.

Join us today – your support helps keep our permanent collections free.

EAT, DRINK AND SHOP

CAFÉ AND RESTAURANT

Our top floor restaurant offers spectacular views over Oxford’s historic spires. Enjoy afternoon tea as well as our revolving exhibition-themed dishes and wine list.

‘A restaurant that lives up to its spectacular setting’
The Independent

Two women looking at a product in the museum shop

GIFT SHOP

Our shop is inspired by our collections; browse beautiful jewellery, homeware, scarves and bags – perfect for distinctive, cultural gifts – or simply pick up a postcard to remember your visit.

BUY ASHMOLEAN PRINTS

Browse the Ashmolean collection of fine art prints from current exhibition imagery to highlights from across our permanent collection. Shop for framed or unframed prints delivered straight to your door in a range of sizes.

OBJECT OF THE MONTH

THE FELIX GEM

The scene depicted is the Theft of the Palladion during the Trojan War. A prophesy had revealed that the Greeks could only capture Troy if the cult statue of Athena (known as the Palladion) was in their procession. The hero Diomedes is shown on the right clutching the Palladion but in order to claim it he has killed the temple guard, whose feet are just visible on the ground. The bearded hero Odysseus gestures in horror at this act of sacrilege. The gods were so angered that many Greek warriors were killed before or on their return journey home to Greece.