t The curvaceous Van Gogh Museum sits on the manicured Museumplein
D9 ⌂ Museumplein 6 v 2, 3, 5, 12 # Jan–Mar, Nov & Dec: 9am–10pm Fri, 9am–5pm Sat–Thu; Apr–Jun: 9am–10pm Fri, 9am–7pm Sun–Thu (to 6pm Sat); Jul & Aug: 9am–10pm Fri, 9am–7pm Sun–Thu (to 9pm Sat); Sep & Oct: 9am–10pm Fri, 9am–6pm Sat–Thu ∑ vangoghmuseum.com
When Van Gogh died in 1890, he was on the verge of stardom. His brother Theo, an art dealer, amassed a collection of 200 of his paintings and 500 drawings. These, with around 850 letters by Van Gogh, form the core of the world’s largest Van Gogh collection.
t The curvaceous Van Gogh Museum sits on the manicured Museumplein
The Van Gogh Museum is based on a design by De Stijl architect Gerrit Rietveld (1888–1965) and opened in 1973. A freestanding wing, designed by Kisho Kurokawa, was added in 1999.
The ground floor shows Van Gogh’s self-portraits chronologically. Paintings from his Dutch and French periods are on the first floor, along with works by other 19th-century artists. The second floor focuses on Van Gogh’s personal life, with a selection of letters. Works from his last year are shown on the third floor, as well as works by later artists who were influenced by him. The main entrance is through the Exhibition Wing, which houses temporary exhibitions. Every Friday night the central hall is turned into a bar with lounge chairs and DJs.
t Visitors milling around the entrance hall of the Van Gogh Museum
Experience Museum Quarter
Vincent Van Gogh (1853–90), born in Zundert, began painting in 1880. He worked in the Netherlands for five years before moving to Paris, later settling in the south of France. After an argument with Gauguin, he cut off part of his own ear and his mental instability forced him into an asylum in Saint-Rémy. He sought help in Auvers, where he shot himself, dying two days later.
Van Gogh claimed that all his work is “based to some extent on Japanese art”.