AMSTERDAM, July 15 — If you are planning a European getaway this summer, make time to visit some of the continent’s various art institutes. Here is a selection of five exhibitions and retrospectives, highlighting the work of prominent international artists, on show until next fall:

‘Van Gogh and the Sunflowers’ at Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands

The exhibition delves into Van Gogh’s iconic “Sunflowers” series, focusing particularly on the 1889 version of the large bunch of sunflowers in a vase that he painted just a year before his death.

It takes visitors on the journey of one of the most celebrated still-life paintings in art history, offering insight into why Van Gogh chose to paint these flowers and his process in doing so.

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Also on view are 22 other artworks, including rare sketches by fellow artists such as Paul Gauguin’s portrait of Van Gogh.

“Van Gogh and the Sunflowers” will be on show at Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum through September 1. For additional information, check the museum’s website.

‘Baselitz — Academy’ at the Gallerie dell’ Accademia in Venice, Italy

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The retrospective, curated by Kosme de Baranano, traces the 60-year career of the German Neo-Expressionist, who is particularly renowned for his upside-down portraits.

It features a series of paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures, including rarely seen works that highlight Baselitz’s relationship with Italy.

“Baselitz — Academy,” which will run until September 8, also marks the first presentation on a living artist to ever be on show at the Gallerie dell’ Accademia.

Tickets and additional information can be found on the gallery’s website.

‘Rodin — Maillol Face a Face’ at Musee d’art Hyacinthe Rigaud in Perpignan, France

This summer, the Hyacinthe Rigaud museum brings together the oeuvres of two prominent modern sculptors, Auguste Rodin and Aristide Maillol.

Their sculptures are exhibited against each other for the first time, offering a new reading of their respective works.

“Rodin — Maillol Face a Face” will be on show at Perpignan’s Hyacinthe Rigaud museum until November 3. For additional information, check the museum’s website.

‘Velazquez, Rembrandt, Vermeer: Parallel Vision’ at the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain

This exhibition, which is running within the context of the Prado’s celebration of its bicentenary, is devoted to Dutch and Spanish paintings of the late 16th to early 17th centuries.

It features 72 works that reflect on the pictorial traditions of Spain and the Low Countries, which were two nations almost permanently at war during this period.

Although art history texts generally tend to consider these traditions essentially different, this presentation attempts to find parallels between these two artistic centres.

“Velazquez, Rembrandt, Vermeer: Parallel visions” will be on show at the Prado Museum through September 29. Tickets and additional information are available on the Prado’s website.

‘Lee Krasner: Living Colour’ at the Barbican Art Gallery in London, England

“Lee Krasner: Living Colour” marks the first retrospective in Europe dedicated to the American artist in over 50 years.

Although Krasner was a pioneer of Abstract Expressionism, her artistic contribution was overshadowed for years by the work of her husband, Jackson Pollock.

This exhibition features nearly 100 works from across her 50-year career, many of which are on show in the UK for the first time.

Among them are early self-portraits, charcoal life drawings, as well as a selection of Krasner’s large-scale abstract paintings.

“Lee Krasner: Living Colour” will run at London’s Barbican Art Gallery until September 1. Tickets and additional information are available on the gallery’s website. — AFP-Relaxnews