Van Gogh is one of the most renowned artists worldwide.
Where can you admire his works?
Below is a brief list of three museums, Italian and European, where you can find the masterpieces of the Dutch master.
The National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art – Rome
The National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome houses one of the most important works by Van Gogh preserved in Italian collections.
This is the “Gardener“, created presumably in September 1889 when Van Gogh was hospitalized at the Saint Rémy hospital.
Although there is no certainty about the identity of the boy portrayed, according to some interpretations, he may indeed be the gardener of the facility where Vincent Van Gogh was hospitalized.
The subject has a serene yet subtly melancholic expression, accentuated by the slight divergence of the pupils.
The face is painted in detail, in contrast to the shirt, which is rendered with quick, sketchy brushstrokes.
The gardener is also a unique work in Van Gogh’s production: it is one of the rare canvases with a well-defined landscape that extends clearly behind the protagonist.
The Kröller-Müller Museum – Otterlo
The Kröller-Müller Museum can be considered the second home of Van Gogh.
Inside, you can find 90 works by the artist and over 180 drawings, collected in a gallery specifically dedicated.
The museum is named after the couple Anton and Helene Kröller-Müller who assembled the extraordinary collection housed there today. Their great attention to Van Gogh significantly contributed to the recognition of his work.
The museum reconstructs the life of the painter, from his early years in the Belgian Borinage to his premature death in the French village of Auvers, which occurred on July 29, 1890.
The Rijksmuseum – Amsterdam
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam possesses the largest collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age and a considerable collection of Asian art.
Here too, there are works by the painter, particularly noteworthy is a self-portrait from 1887.
Van Gogh moved to Paris in 1886, after hearing from his brother Theo about the new colorful style of French painting.
Curious, he experimented with several self-portraits using rhythmic brushstrokes and bright colors.
At the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, there are also drawings by the painter.
If you are interested in Van Gogh, we remind you that in Rome, at Palazzo Bonaparte, until May 7, you can visit the exhibition Van Gogh Masterpieces from the Kröller – Müller Museum.
For all the other must-see exhibitions in Rome, we also recommend our in-depth article: Rome’s main exhibitions 2023.
