Enamored by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Helene Kröller-Müller (1869-1939) came to own the world’s largest private collection of the artist’s work. For some twenty years, from 1908 when Van Gogh’s reputation was taking off, she amassed more than 90 oil paintings and some 180 works on paper along with her husband, mining and shipping tycoon Anton Kröller. Discovering a profound spirituality in the art of Van Gogh, Helene devoted herself to founding art museums so as to share her passion with as many people as possible.
Through Helene’s extraordinary collection, this exhibition will trace the development of modern painting with a focus on Van Gogh. Featured will be 28 paintings and 20 drawings and prints by Van Gogh, along with 20 paintings by Jean-François Millet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Georges Seurat, Odilon Redon, and Piet Mondrian, all from the Kröller-Müller Museum.
The exhibition will also survey the dramatic growth of Van Gogh’s popularity and reputation since the early 20th century through four paintings from the Van Gogh Museum, including The Yellow House (The Street).