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fig. 1
The exhibition wing of the Van Gogh Museum, spring 1999
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Review
August 1998 - July 1999
The new wing
In recent years the activities of the museum's staff have been dominated by building projects. The creation of a new wing for exhibitions was in itself an ambitious undertaking, but this was carried out in parallel with a major renovation of the existing facility. On 1 September 1998 the museum closed to the public in order to facilitate both construction and renovation. With the successful completion of this work, the museum has virtually doubled in size, and it is no exaggeration to state that, 26 years after it first opened, a new Van Gogh Museum has been created.
In 1991, the Yasuda Fire and Marine Insurance Company Ltd agreed to donate, via the Japan Foundation, a sum of 37.5 million Dutch guilders to finance the construction of a new building for temporary exhibitions. The internationally acclaimed architect Kisho Kurokawa received the commission for its design, and his first plans were revealed to the public in the same year. However, the location - behind the existing building in the Museumplein - was a sensitive one. The process of obtaining approval to add a new landmark to this historically important space took many years and construction work did not begin until early in 1997.
From an early stage it was decided that the new wing should be an independent structure with its own architectural identity, rather than an extension to the existing building. Kurokawa's original idea for a circular pavilion was modified into an elegant oval form in order to accommodate the demands of the new layout of the Museumplein, developed by the Danish landscape architect Sven-Ingvar Andersson. In its final form, almost two-thirds of the building is set beneath ground level. Access to the wing is from the ground floor of the Rietveld building. An escalator (or a panoramic lift) takes visitors down to the basement level where a broad, crescent-shaped corridor skirts a shallow, Japanese-style pool and leads to the exhibition rooms. The thin layer of moving water in the pond reflects the titanium facade, which is pierced by a projecting cuboid print room clad in aluminium. Other parts of the exterior are constructed in deer-brown granite, quarried in Canada and tooled in Italy. The materials are modern
fig. 2
Cross section of the Rietveld building and the exhibition wing
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fig. 3
Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands with Head of Exhibitions Andreas Blühm at the official opening on 23 June 1999
fig. 4
Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands with Kisho Kurokawa and Director John Leighton at the official opening on 23 June 1999
and hard-edged yet take on surprisingly subtle and varied reflections and colours in the everchanging conditions of light and weather.
The interiors are equally dramatic. In addition to service and storage areas, there are three floors offering some 2,293 cubic metres of exhibition space - ample room for the museum's ambitious programme of temporary shows. All the spaces, with the exception of the ‘print box,’ can be illuminated with daylight, but there is also a sophisticated artificial lighting system designed by Georges Berne of L'Observatoire. The first exhibitions have demonstrated the flexibility of these new spaces. Both the modernistic retrospective of Kurokawa's own career and the more traditional presentation of the Theo van Gogh exhibition seemed equally at home in the same building.
Kurokawa's design was enthusiastically received by the press here in the Netherlands and abroad. The architect has been praised for creating a highly-original building, yet one that manages to pay homage to some of the best features of its counterpart designed by Gerrit Rietveld and his partners.
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The renovation of the Rietveld building
The other main project of the period under review was the renovation of the Rietveld building, carried out under the auspices of the Rijksgebouwendienst (Government Buildings Agency) and supervised by architect Martien van Goor of the Greiner van Goor partnership. Some of the changes are not readily apparent. For example, numerous improvements have been made to the fabric of the building and the worn-out installations for climate control have been replaced. More obvious is the new layout of the entrance area, which now has a spacious lobby to help improve the flow of visitors in and out of the building. The cafeteria, the auditorium and shop have all been renovated, and a new office block has been added at the rear of the building.
All the interiors have been upgraded from floor to ceiling. Particular attention has been paid to the lighting of works of art. With Van Gogh's sun-filled paintings in mind, the original building was created to allow the influx of natural light into the exhibition spaces. Unfortunately, this generous allowance of daylight was often at odds with modern standards of conservation, and over the years there have been successive attempts to create a satisfactory lighting system in the Rietveld building. Under the guidance of Georges Berne, a new solution to this problem was developed, combining the lively ambience of natural, changing daylight with a supplementary artificial lighting system of the highest quality.
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There is broad consensus that architect Martien van Goor has struck a successful balance between the essential qualities of Rietveld's design and the demands of a modern museum. To quote the critic of the Volkskrant: ‘It has become a more comfortable museum, an airy building with pleasant rooms filled with daylight. More than ever, Van Gogh's works come into their own.’
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The collection during the closure
During the closure of the museum the entire collection was moved to locations in the Netherlands and abroad. A total of 140 works (of which 90 by Van Gogh) were shown in the south wing of the Rijksmuseum from 19 September 1998 to 16 May 1999, and a group of 20 works was lent to the Rijksmuseum Twenthe in Enschede. The closure of the museum offered the opportunity to mount a major exhibition abroad. A selection of 70 works was shown in the National Gallery in Washington D.C. (4 October 1998 to 3 January 1999) and the Los Angeles County
fig. 5
Queues at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC during the Van Gogh exhibition
Museum of Art (17 January to 16 May 1999). Entitled Van Gogh's Van Goghs: masterpieces from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, this exhibition was extremely well received by both the press and public alike. Some 480,500 visitors saw the show in Washington and, after a longer run, 820,000 in Los Angeles. The exhibition was accompanied by a catalogue written by Richard Kendall, with contributions by myself and Sjraar van Heugten. The Van Gogh Museum works in close partnership with the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, the owners of the majority of the works in the permanent collection. We are especially grateful to Vincent Willem van Gogh, Chairman, and to his fellow members of the Board of the Foundation for their generous collaboration on this exhibition project and for their continued support of the museum and its activities.
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New displays
The remodelling of the Rietveld building has allowed the museum to develop new ways of presenting its rich and varied holdings. Now the entire Rietveld building can be devoted to the museum's permanent collections. New space has been won for the displays, and the study room on the second floor has been expanded with the aim of keeping as many paintings as possible on view to the public.
The displays follow a broadly chronological span from around 1840 to the first years of the 20th century, and embrace a succession of movements from romanticism and realism through to impressionism and symbolism. Yet rather than provide a simple ‘stepping stone’ review of the history of art - in which one important development appears to lead inevitably to another - our aim is to suggest something of the diversity and dissonance of the period which forms the background to Van Gogh's art. It is a view which recognises the contribution of minor as well as major talents, and which is international in its outlook, acknowledging the importance of Paris as an art centre but including works by artists from all over Europe.
The main displays are divided over the ground, first and third floors. On the ground floor several partition walls have been removed to create a single large space. Paintings are mingled with
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fig. 6
The exhibition wing, lower gallery
sculptures in a manner intended to evoke something of the variety of public exhibitions in the last century, where innovative works frequently had to compete with more traditional ones. The contents of this room range from the precision of artists like Ary Scheffer and Gustave Boulanger to the coarser realism of Courbet or Millet, but very broadly offers an overview of the various strands in academic and naturalist art around the middle of the century. Many of the artists and indeed several of the particular works on view here would have been familiar to Van Gogh, some of whose own pictures have also been incorporated into the hanging.
As before, a chronological display of Van Gogh's works is arranged over the first floor, at the very heart of the building. Arriving at this level the visitor is first confronted by an impressive group of self-portraits, including perhaps one of the most famous in the collection, the Self-portrait as an artist. Extra space has been created on this floor by turning an old depot into a public area, making it possible, for example, to expand the presentation of Van Gogh's early work to include his periods in The Hague, Drenthe and Antwerp. The superb group of pictures from Arles remains a highlight, but in general the pictures have been hung more spaciously than before. This not only helps ease overcrowding around the masterpieces, but also allows some important works by Van Gogh to be hung alongside paintings by other artists elsewhere in the building.
If the ground floor contains mainly works by Van Gogh's predecessors, the third floor is dedicated to his contemporaries and followers. The first room, devoted to impressionism and neo-impressionism, includes works by Manet, Degas, Monet, Pissarro, Cézanne, Signac and Seurat. The works on view here provide an excellent context for Van Gogh's work, in particular his Paris period when he was confronted with the full impact of modern French art for the first time. Some of the paintings are by his friends and acquaintances, and his own paintings of Paris are shown alongside related pictures by Signac and the museum's recently-acquired panel by Georges Seurat (see the Van Gogh Museum Journal 1997-98). Subsequent rooms are devoted to Van Gogh's immediate circle of friends (with works by Gauguin, Bernard and Laval), to symbolist art (Redon, Denis, Böcklin, Stuck), and finally to a display which reflects Van Gogh's influ- | |
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ence on early-20th century art (Picasso, Kandinsky, Sluijters).
Now that there is a wing entirely consecrated to temporary exhibitions, the permanent collection will not need to be reshuffled every time the museum mounts a new show. However, while the displays of the collection will be more stable, it is not our intention that they should become frozen and static. From time to time, new acquisitions and loans will be added to invigorate the displays and the hang will be changed, either to give a new emphasis to a particular movement or period, or to set individual works in different contexts. Most important in this respect is the expansion of the study collection on the second floor. Those paintings which are not included in the main displays will normally be on view here. Alongside the display cases are reading tables with a selection of the museum's catalogues and other publications, as well as computers which give access to the Van Gogh Museum Internet site. Visitors can explore the breadth of the collection in this ‘open storeroom’ and also have access to detailed information about these and other works. The presentations in the study collection will be enhanced by occasional didactic displays exploring particular themes in the work of Van Gogh and his contemporaries. The first of these is devoted to aspects of Van Gogh's technique. Also on the second floor is a new area for the exhibition of prints and drawings. Selections from the permanent collection of works on paper will be on show here, the first of which was devoted to recent acquisitions of drawings.
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New acquisitions and loans
The paintings collection has been enriched with several important acquisitions. Arnold Böcklin's Sleeping nymph spied on by two fauns is the first work by this artist to enter a museum in the Netherlands. Purchased with the support of the Vereniging Rembrandt and the Prins Bernhard Fonds, this picture adds an important new centrepiece to the museum's representation of later 19th-century symbolism. Rees van Dongen's The blue dress is a major work dating from 1910. It was purchased as part of a new initiative whereby the Van Gogh Museum, together with three other national museums are to be beneficiaries of one of the most popular lotteries in the Netherlands, the Grote Sponsor Loterij. Although this scheme was only launched last year, it has already generated sufficient funds to make a substantial difference to the museums' purchasing power.
In addition to the acquisition of the Böcklin and the Van Dongen, we were delighted to receive as a gift one of Hendrik Willem Mesdag's finest paintings, Breakers in the North Sea. As Fred Leeman recounts in this volume of the Van Gogh Museum Journal, the favourable reception accorded this picture at the Salon of 1870 was an important milestone in Mesdag's career and helped establish his reputation in the Netherlands. The picture was donated by Johan Poort, who has tirelessly documented Mesdag's life and work in numerous publications. Mr Poort has also given a portrait of Jozef Israëls by Mesdag to the Museum Mesdag (which already owns a pendant portrait of Mesdag by Israëls).
The new hangings also include numerous new loans. Many of these are from institutions in Amsterdam, including the Rijksmuseum, the
fig. 7
Arnold Böcklin, Sleeping nymph spied on by two fauns 1884, Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum
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fig. 8
Edouard Manet, Study for the ‘Bar at the Folies-Bergère’ 1881, Loan from a private collection
Stedelijk Museum and the Amsterdams Historisch Museum. In recent years we have worked closely with our colleagues in these museums to develop a more logical presentation of the collections in Amsterdam. The result is a new agreement covering those areas of the holdings which overlap, or where there are potential conflicts of interest. Very broadly, with regard to the 19th century, the Rijksmuseum will collect and display Dutch 19th-century art, whereas the Van Gogh Museum will have a more international scope, concentrating on the period 1840-1920. The Stedelijk Museum will devote itself to the 20th century and beyond, and has generously placed the bulk of its 19th-century foreign art at the disposal of the Van Gogh Museum. This agreement has been implemented by a number of loans between the institutions: at the Van Gogh Museum there are now loans of works by Corot, Daubigny and Monet from the Rijksmuseum and, among others, Cézanne, Bonnard and Jawlensky from the Stedelijk Museum.
In another new initiative, the National Gallery in London has lent Cézanne's Landscape with poplars for one year in exchange for an early painting by Van Gogh, A pair of shoes. The lack of a Cézanne in the permanent collection was keenly felt, and this vibrant landscape from the 1880s provides an excellent comparison with Van Gogh's own southern landscapes. The P. and N. De Boer Foundation has kindly lent eight works by Van Gogh, including a major painting from the Arles period and a view of Amsterdam, as well as a group of fine drawings. Thanks to the generosity of a private collector, an important picture by Manet has been on loan since the reopening. It is a famous study for the artist's Bar at the Folies-Bergère and is familiar to the Amsterdam public as it was on loan to the Stedelijk Museum for many years before being sold abroad. There are no significant paintings by Manet in Dutch public collections, and this spirited work makes a welcome return to strengthen the impressionist displays at the Van Gogh Museum.
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fig. 9
‘Theo van Gogh (1857-1891): art dealer, collector and brother of Vincent,’ Van Gogh Museum 1999
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Exhibitions
The museum's new wing opened with two exhibitions. The space on the basement level was devoted to a retrospective of the work of architect Kisho Kurokawa. This show, which had already travelled to Paris, London and Berlin, documented the major steps in Kurokawa's career from the 1960s and the movement he described as Metabolism through to his development of the concept of Symbiosis, a blend of western and eastern ideas and philosophies. Intricately-crafted scale models, drawings and photographs brought many of his major projects to life; of particular interest was naturally the section illustrating the genesis of the Van Gogh Museum's exhibition wing.
The major exhibition for the reopening was devoted to Theo van Gogh (1857-1891). Theo played a crucial role in the career of his brother Vincent, whom he supported over many years. Despite this, he has largely remained a shadowy figure, only attracting attention insofar as his life had a bearing on his famous brother's life and work. The exhibition and accompanying publication focused on Theo's own career, revealing his work as an influential art dealer in the 1880s. As manager a branch of Boussod, Valadon & Cie. on the Boulevard Montmartre, Theo came into contact with many of the leading artists of his time. The show included a broad cross-section of work Theo bought and sold, from established names such as Gérome and Corot to more challenging works by Monet and Gauguin. Previously it had been customary to describe Theo as a fearless champion of impressionism, but both the exhibition and the catalogue offered a more nuanced view, showing how his attempts to expand his firm's business were usually modest and based on a sensible judgement of the future development of the art market. The show was accompanied by a fully-illustrated catalogue written by Chris Stolwijk and Richard Thomson, with a contribution by Sjraar van Heugten. The show in Amsterdam was supervised by Andreas Blühm and in Paris, at the Musée d'Orsay,
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fig. 10
Home page of the Van Gogh Museum's new website
(28 September 1999 through January 2000) by Henri Loyrette and Monique Nonne. A two-day symposium entitled ‘Art trade in the 19th Century’ was held at the Van Gogh Museum on 1 and 2 July 1999. Speakers included Richard Thomson (University of Edinburgh), Linda Whiteley (University of Oxford), Caroline Durand-Ruel Godfroy (Durand Ruel & Cie.), Patricia Mainardi (City University of New York), Martha Ward (University of Chicago), Frances Fowle (Edinburgh College of Art), Madeleine Fidell-Beaufort (American University, Paris), and Chris Stolwijk (Van Gogh Museum). The proceedings will be published in a future volume of the Van Gogh Museum Journal.
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Publications
The Museum's project to catalogue its entire collection of works by Van Gogh continued with the publication of the first in a series of three volumes devoted to the paintings (the first two of four on the drawings collection have already been published): Louis van Tilborgh and Marije Vellekoop, Vincent van Gogh: paintings. Volume 1: Dutch period 1881-1885, Amsterdam & Bussum 1999. All of the 44 paintings in the collection from the artist's years in Holland are documented and described in detail. Each picture underwent a detailed technical examination under the supervision of Cornelia Perez, and the results of this research are described in the entries. The catalogue, which also includes an essay on Van Gogh's materials and a study of how the collection was formed, is published in both Dutch and English editions.
The complete correspondence between Theo van Gogh and Jo Bonger has also now been published: Kort geluk: De briefwisseling tussen Theo van Gogh en Jo Bonger, ed. Leo Jansen and Jan Robert, intro. Han van Crimpen, Amsterdam & Zwolle 1999. The majority of the 101 letters the couple exchanged were written during their three-month engagement; Theo was then in Paris, while Jo was living with her parents in Amsterdam. The letters offer insights into their plans and dreams as well as the more practical arrangements for their future life together. Theo's role as an active and ambitious young dealer in Paris in the 1880s also comes to the fore. The book is published in Dutch, and an English edition is in preparation.
Published to coincide with the reopening of the museum, Van Gogh Museum architecture:
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fig. 11
Guided tour at the Museum Mesdag
Rietveld to Kurokawa (Rotterdam 1999), traces the history of the Van Gogh Museum building, focusing in particular on the new extension and the renovation of the main building. It is richly illustrated with photographs by Jannes Linders and includes an accompanying essay is by the architectural historian Hans Ibelings. The text sets the new building against the wider context of recent museum architecture and explores the ideas behind Kurokawa's design.
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Education
The new study area on the second floor (described above) is just part of a new drive to enhance and expand the educational programmes at the museum. Many of the existing explanatory materials, including wall texts, labels and the audio tour have been revised and augmented. A new introductory brochure with an overview of Van Gogh's life and work is available (in seven languages) to all visitors free of charge, and the upgrading of the auditorium offers many new possibilities - for example, a new introductory video on Van Gogh is in currently in preparation.
Most importantly, a range of material about Van Gogh and the museum has been developed to assist teachers and students. A book has been produced aimed at primary level school children entitled ‘Vincent en Theo. Broeders in de kuns’; written Frank Groothof it contains notes for teachers. New material for secondary school pupils has also been developed in close collaboration with teachers and experts in the field. This package is designed to complement the students own work as part of their curriculum and, where possible, to supplement it with a visit to the museum. The first in a series of lively Van Gogh ‘newspapers’ aimed at this age group has been published, as well as several information packs on particular aspects of the collection. The museum's new website (www.vangoghmuseum.nl) will also be further developed as part of this move to reach and inspire a younger audience. To date this material is available only in Dutch.
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The Museum Mesdag
The Van Gogh Museum also manages the Museum Mesdag in The Hague. This delightful museum houses the collection put together by the painters Hendrik Willem Mesdag and his wife Sientje Mesdag-Van Houten. Since its reopening after a major renovation in 1996 our efforts have been directed at building up a local and national audience for the museum. There have been several series of lectures on aspects of the collection and other educational activities, including the painting by children of a vast panorama to ‘complement’ Mesdag's own famous Panorama, located nearby. A new compact guide to the museum has been prepared and will be published in late 1999.
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Attendance figures
In 1998 (1 January to 1 September) the Van Gogh Museum was attended by 758,263 visitors. The attendance figure for the Museum Mesdag in 1998 was 11,446.
John Leighton
Director
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The renovated Rietveld building
Ground floor and atrium
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The exhibition wing
North facade
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The exhibition wing
Lower and upper galleries
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The exhibition wing
Staircase
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[pagina 22-23]
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The exhibition wing
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