The other Van Goghs
If you want to see his museum, go to Amsterdam, but leave time for a mustdo side trip
The world’s two largest collections of art by Vincent van Gogh are both in the Netherlands – it was his homeland, of course, and he shipped all of the paintings he did in France to his brother there.
Most people know that the biggest collection is now at the Vincent van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Far less well known is the Kroller-Muller Museum in Otterlo, and yet it has 91 of his paintings and 175 drawings.
And the museum sits in beautiful De Hoge Veluwe National Park, as well.
The museum, which opened in 1938, had been the residence of German-born collector Helene Kroller-Muller, whose husband was a Dutch shipping tycoon. His money bought her no fewer than 11,500 carefully selected artworks, making Helene the first European woman to amass such a major collection.
Kroller-Muller has been credited as one of the first art patrons to see the genius in van Gogh, who died in 1890. She ultimately owned 91 of his paintings and twice as many sketches. She purchased several of his striking self-portraits, “The Potato Eaters”, “The Night Cafe” and “Sunflowers”, among others.
But Kroller-Muller also admired the cubists, particularly Pablo Picasso, Fernand Leger and Juan Gris, the Dutch modernist Piet Mondrian, the Mexican social realist Diego Rivera and the French pointillist George Seurat.
Works by all of these artists are now on view inside the museum, and outdoors there are many sculptures, both classical and modern, to discover on the vast lawn, set against tall trees, their appearance altering with the light of the shifting seasons.
The writer travelled with China Airlines, which now has direct daily flights from Bangkok to Amsterdam. See www.China-Airlines.com.
NATURAL VIEW
>>> The Kroller-Muller Museum is in Otterlo, Ede, about two hours from Amsterdam by car or train. It’s best to book overnight accommodation nearby. In summer you can camp in De Hoge Veluwe National Park.
>>> The museum is open daily except Monday until 5pm. Admission is 16.40 euros (Bt690).
Find out more at www.KMM.nl.
