The Mikkel Museum was opened in 1997 after an extensive donation was received from a private collector. Johannes Mikkel’s (1907–2006) collection of Western European, Russian, Chinese and Estonian art from the 16th to the 20th centuries is an important addition to the Foreign Art Collection of the Art Museum of Estonia. The museum’s temporary exhibitions programme focuses on private collections and topics related to art collecting in general, offering visitors a chance to see treasures normally kept in private and highlighting the more personal aspects of collecting art.