Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam
There isn't a tourist who came into the Netherlands and didn't know who the Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh was. A lot of visitors even share their knowledge of how he cut off his left ear or a tip of it (depending on which version they've heard). Vincent is a world-renowned artist and it's only befitting that there's a museum showcasing most of his wonderful works of art. The Van Gogh Museum is a museum dedicated to Vincent van Gogh. Located on the Paulus Potterstraat 7 and the Museumplein district of Amsterdam.
The collection of the Van Gogh museum contains more than two hundred paintings, five hundred drawings and seven hundred letters from Vincent van Gogh, as well as his collection of Japanese prints.
A Brief history of the Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam
The Van Gogh museum was a gem born out of a series of unfortunate events. While he lived, Vincent van Gogh only sold one of his paintings. After his death, he left his complete work to his younger brother, Theo van Gogh. At Theo's death the collection was passed on to his wife and widow, Jo van Gogh-Bonger. She sold a number of his artworks, but kept a collection that she felt was representative of Van Gogh's legacy. After her death in 1925, the artworks came into the possession of her son Vincent Willem van Gogh.
The Vincent van Gogh Foundation
In 1960, the Vincent van Gogh Foundation was founded by Vincent Willem van Gogh. In addition to himself and his wife, his three living children also had a seat in the foundation, as well as a representative of the Dutch government.
On 21 July 1962, an agreement was signed between the Dutch government and the Vincent van Gogh Foundation. The Van Gogh family transferred the entire collection, consisting of 200 paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, 400 drawings, and all letters from Vincent, to the state for 15 million Dutch guilders (Dutch currency at that time). This laid the foundation for the Van Gogh Museum. The museum opened its doors in 1973 with Emile Meijer as its first director and has grown to become very popular worldwide. The museum had 1.9 million visitors in 2015 and was the 2nd most visited museum in the Netherlands and the 31st most visited museum of arts in the world.
Who was Vincent van Gogh?
Who was Vincent van Gogh really? The man, the myth, the legend. A lot has been said about him and while some are true, others are stories people made up just for gossip. The truth is, he was a genius painter who struggled just like every genius would in a world that didn't appreciate his talents the way he deserved. He demanded a lot of himself, sought inspiration like every true artist, produced genius works of art and only sold one. He saw it all as a failure - the lack of recognition and poverty. It depressed him and unfortunately, it drove him to take his own life.
Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch painter. His work falls under post-impressionism, an art movement that succeeded 19th century impressionism. Van Gogh's influence on expressionism, fauvism and early abstraction was enormous and can be seen in many other aspects of 20th century art. His work contributed heavily to the foundations of modern art. He is known to have created about 2,100 works of art, including 860 oil paintings.
Vincent Van Gogh is today regarded as one of the greatest painters of the 19th century. Unfortunately, it came too late for him but his legacy will continue to live on.
A statement on the Museum's website reads:
"In July 1890, Vincent van Gogh took his own life. He felt he couldn’t go on. The immense demands he made of himself, his obsessive labour, his mental illness and, not least, his changing relationship with his brother had all become too much. Vincent felt he had failed as both an artist and a human being."
For more on Vincent's story, please check out this link on the museum's official website: https://www.vangoghmuseum.com/en/stories/the-end-of-a-difficult-road#0
I'm sure Vincent would be happy to know that millions all over the world love his paintings and appreciate how much he has contributed to art in general.
The Museum's Location
The museum is located at the Paulus Potterstraat 7 on the Amsterdam Museumplein District of Amsterdam Zuid (South). It consists of 2 buildings - the Rietveld and the Kurokawa wings, designed by Gerrit Rietveld and Kisho Kurokawa respectively.
The Museum's Collection
The museum is home to the largest Van Gogh collection in the world. It is home to 200 paintings and 400 drawings. Famous works by Van Gogh, such as The Potato Eaters, The Yellow House, Sunflowers and The Bedroom can be found there. Vincent van Gogh wrote many letters, especially to his brother Theo. 700 of these letters are also kept in the museum.
In over a decade, Vincent van Gogh created more than 2,100 works of art and his influence on expressionism was enormous and can be seen in many other aspects of 20th century art. That is why, in addition to his works, the museum also has artworks from other painters who have been influenced by or have worked with him.
Opening Hours and Prices
The museum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm and Fridays until 10 pm.
Best time to visit: visit the museum from 9 am to 11 am or after 3 pm. The busiest times are between 11 am and 3 pm.
Ticket Prices
From 1 January 2018 onwards, the entrance fee for all adults above 18 years of age to the Van Gogh Museum is € 18.
Children under 18 are free of charge (excluding school groups).
Museumkaart holders, ICOM members and Rembrandt Card holders enjoy direct access to the museum (free of charge).
Stadspas holders and I Amsterdam City Card holders receive their free entrance tickets at the cash desk.
To purchase tickets, please click on this link.
Note to visitors:
The museum accepts both printed and digital tickets. If you’re not able to print your ticket, no problem! Just bring your smartphone or tablet with you to the museum. Naturally, check the battery is sufficiently charged.
Your ticket is only valid on the selected date and time.
You can enter the museum up to 30 minutes after your reserved starting time.
Purchasing your ticket online in advance means you benefit from priority access without having to visit the ticket office.
Address and Accessibility:
Address:
Van Gogh Museum P.O. Box 75366 1070 AJ Amsterdam
T +31 (0)20 570 5200 E info@vangoghmuseum.nl
Accessibility:
In Amsterdam:
From Amsterdam Central Station:
Tram 2, direction Nieuw Sloten, stop Van Baerlestraat
Tram 5, direction Amstelveen Binnenhof, stop Van Baerlestraat
Bus 170, direction Uithoorn, Amstelplein, stop Rijksmuseum or Museumplein
Bus 172, direction Kudelstaart, stop Rijksmuseum or Museumplein
From train station Amsterdam Sloterdijk: Tram 12, direction Amsterdam Amstel, stop Museumplein
From train station Amsterdam Amstel: Tram 12, direction Station Sloterdijk, stop Museumplein
From train station Amsterdam Zuid WTC: Tram 5, direction Amsterdam Central Station, stop Van Baerlestraat.
For real time information on how to find your way to the museum, please check the 9292 website.
