"I put my heart & soul into my work [and] have lost my mind in the process" - Vincent Van Gogh.
Vincent Van Gogh is the quintessential misunderstood genius. He composed numerous paintings during his lifetime, with a significant portion made during the last two years of his life as a way to cope with his mental illness. Financed largely by his brother Theo, he was a commercial failure during his lifetime, having only sold one painting, "The Red Vineyard". Theo and his wife were very supportive of him during his life, but much of Van Gogh's acclaim was made posthumously thanks to the efforts of his sister-in-law and his nephew, who founded the Vincent Van Gogh foundation. He also established the museum where most of his works are stored. Nowadays his paintings have fetched record-breaking prices at auction.
A Post-Impressionist artist, his signature style consists of the impasto technique (thick brush strokes) and in his later paintings, bright, bold colors.
LOGISTICS:
- Location: Museumplein (near Rijksmuseum).
- Cost: €19 (FREE for people under 18). It is included in the Museumkaart but you still need to reserve a spot online.
- Multimedia guide: €5. Available in 11 languages.
- The museum is open every single day of the year, with almost all days with a 9am start time. Every Friday the museum is open until 9pm.
- As of late 2018 tickets are only available online with admittance times in 15-minute incrementals from opening until 1.5 hours before close. This is because they estimate 1.5 hours is enough time, though most people spend at least 2 hours. Outside, I saw kiosks that advertised last-minute tickets but this isn't recommended.
- NO PHOTOS PERMITTED. Fear not, you can do a virtual museum tour here (https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/van-gogh-museum).
- Notably Absent: Starry Night (MoMA, NYC).
EXPERIENCE
I had very little art education during school so much of my discovery has been through my travels, particularly in Europe. Although the name "Van Gogh" was familiar, I was unaware of his paintings but during my research into the Belgium/Netherlands trip the Van Gogh Museum was considered one of the must-see museums in Amsterdam and one of the most important museums in Europe. As part of my stay in Amsterdam, I purchased tickets for me and my parents, who also accompanied me most days in the city.
The best part about this museum was how user-friendly the overall experience was. Most of the artwork is presented in chronological order; the ground floor lumps together his self-portraits in an attempt for visitors to familiarize themselves with the artist and there is a special permanent exhibition that showcases "The Yellow House" and a version of "Sunflowers", one of his most signature pieces. If you are not familiar with the depth of his work and don't have a docent showing you around their multimedia guide, along with information written in the walls, is organized in such a manner that I was able to get a sense for most if not all of the artist's signature pieces housed in the museum. My only con was that I was rushed towards the end due to time; in retrospect I shouldn't have scheduled this and the Rijksmuseum guided tour back-to-back. I guess I was so enthralled by Van Gogh's pieces at the expense of learning about the prominent Dutch masters in the museum best known for that style...
My favorite painting was "Almond Blossoms" due to its symbolism as a celebration of new life - it was made as a gift to his brother and wife for the birth of their son, who was responsible for founding the museum. "Sunflowers" is a close second for its symbolism of gratitude and as a study on the various expressions of yellow.
PS: The museum shop experience felt like being a kid in a candy store. I was amazed at a lot of the merchandise being sold as they were unique and for some also doubled as souvenirs of Amsterdam/Netherlands as a whole. I ended up getting a souvenir of a bike inspired by "Sunflowers" to display around the house and an earrings/bracelet set also based on "Sunflowers" made with Swarovski crystals. If I wanted more stuffed animals I could've gotten Miffys dressed up with in some of his paintings. read more