Metamorphoses at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam: What to See (2026)
80+ works by Titian, Caravaggio, Rodin, Bernini and Bourgeois — all inspired by Ovid. The Rijksmuseum's spring exhibition closes 25 May 2026.
The Louvre's Sleeping Hermaphroditus has barely left Paris in years. Right now it's in Amsterdam, in the same room as Caravaggio's Narcissus and Rodin's Pygmalion and Galatea. The Rijksmuseum gathered 80 works across five centuries — all inspired by the same Roman poem — and the result closes on 25 May.
- 80+ works by Titian, Caravaggio, Bernini, Rodin, Magritte, Bourgeois, and Arcimboldo
- Free audio guide narrated by Stephen Fry, available on the Rijksmuseum app
- Tickets €25, under 18 free — closes 25 May 2026
What is the Metamorphoses exhibition at the Rijksmuseum?
Ovid wrote his Metamorphoses around 8 AD: fifteen books of transformation myths that European artists spent the next two thousand years painting. Jupiter turns into a swan, a shower of gold, a mist. Narcissus stares at his reflection. Arachne weaves until the goddess destroys her. The Rijksmuseum, in collaboration with Rome's Galleria Borghese, traced that inheritance across painting, sculpture, goldsmithing, ceramics, photography, and video.
The curators organized it by myth, not period — Titian hangs next to Brancusi, a 16th-century bronze faces a 20th-century photograph. Same stories, different centuries, each one revealing something about the moment that told them.
Where to book
Our take: Both cost €25 — choose GYG for free cancellation flexibility, the official site if you want to book directly with the museum.
What to look for
Caravaggio's Narcissus. One of his rare secular works. A young man bent double over his reflection, the canvas split between subject and shadow. Caravaggio isn't interested in the myth's beauty — only its isolation.
The Sleeping Hermaphroditus, on loan from the Louvre. The figure sleeps face down on a stone mattress. From one angle, androgynous. Walk around it. The transformation is in the act of looking. This piece rarely travels — see it while you can.
Titian's Danaë alongside Correggio's version. Both painted the same myth — Jupiter as a shower of gold — for different patrons, decades apart. The comparison is one of the strongest in the show.
The Arcimboldo heads. Three composite portraits, faces assembled from plants, animals, or objects. They read as faces from a distance and as inventories up close. Slow down. The individual elements are part of the joke.
Hubert Gerhardt's Perseus with the Head of Medusa. A life-size bronze for the Duke of Bavaria, shown with its preparatory model for the first time. The model is rougher — you can see the sculptor's decisions before they hardened.
What most visitors wish they'd known
Download the app before you leave your hotel. The Stephen Fry audio tour is free through the Rijksmuseum app — not wall labels read aloud, but the actual stories. Without it, some connections between works are easy to miss.
The 9 AM slot sells out first. Book at least a week ahead. If your preferred date looks full, check back in the days before — cancellations release slots regularly. Weekday mornings after the first rush (around 10:30) are noticeably quieter than weekends.
Plan your visit time honestly. The exhibition is a separate gallery. If you're also doing the permanent collection — Night Watch, Gallery of Honour, Vermeer rooms — plan 2.5–3 hours total. Most people underestimate this.
- Exhibition
- Metamorphoses — 6 February to 25 May 2026
- Tickets
- Adults €25 · Under 18 free · Museumkaart / I Amsterdam Card: free
- Audio guide
- Free — Rijksmuseum app (iOS & Android), narrated by Stephen Fry
- Location
- Rijksmuseum, Museumstraat 1, Amsterdam
- Transport
- Tram 2, 11, 12 — Rijksmuseum stop
- Website
- rijksmuseum.nl
Hours and availability can change — confirm on the official page before you go.
Last verified: April 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is the Metamorphoses exhibition included in the regular Rijksmuseum ticket?
Yes. The €25 adult ticket covers access to the full museum including Metamorphoses. Under 18 enter free. Museumkaart and I Amsterdam City Card holders also get in at no extra cost.
When does the Metamorphoses exhibition close?
The exhibition runs until 25 May 2026. After that, the works return to their home museums — including the Sleeping Hermaphroditus, on loan from the Louvre.
How long does the Metamorphoses exhibition take?
Most visitors spend 45–60 minutes on the exhibition itself. If you combine it with the permanent collection, plan 2.5–3 hours total.
Is there a free audio guide for Metamorphoses?
Yes. Stephen Fry narrates a free audio tour through the Rijksmuseum app. Download it before you arrive — the app is free on iOS and Android.
If you have Amsterdam plans this spring, go this month. The works scatter back to Rome, Paris, and Munich the moment it closes.