Van will you be going? (Van Gogh Museum)

Member Name: fizzywizzy

Product:	Van Gogh Museum
Date:	19/04/06 (185 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Well presented, superb collection

Disadvantages: Can get very busy, especially at weekends

With only two days in Amsterdam I was keen to cram in as much as possible. As it rained pretty much the whole time we were there, indoor activities were top of the list and as the Rijksmuseum was closed for essential works, next on my list was the Van Gogh Museum. This museum houses the biggest collection of the artist's work held in one place as well as displaying works by other artists of the period - this is interesting as it gives you an opportunity to put Van Gogh's work into context.

The Museum is located close to the Rijksmuseum and is easy to find. It is housed in a modern building that has wheelchair access. The building also has lifts to the upper floors. The admission prices are displayed clearly at the entrance and you can pay with Euros, although I think I saw a sign indicating that Sterling is also accepted.

Prices are as follows

- adults 9 Euros
- children 12 and under - free
- 13-18 year olds - 2.50 Euros

One can take an audio tour with headphones, available in several languages and this costs an additional 4 Euros.

The main structure of the building was completed in 1973 and designed by Gerrit Rietveld, a member of the De Stijl group - a group of progressive designers who were primarily active in the 1920s. The most impressive feature of this part of the museum for me was the staircase in the central hall. This is essentially an atrium so that daylight enters from above and floods the gallery areas. This is good because you get a more natural view of the works rather than too much artificial light.

The exhibition wing of the museum (where temporary exhibitions are shown) was completed in 1999 and was designed by a Japanese architect, Kisho Kurokawa. (I'm not familiar with it but, if you've ever been there, he designed the main buildings at Kuala Lumpur airport). This part of the building bears an impressive sweeping curve and is rather beautiful.

On the ground floor there are exhibits relating to Van Gogh's early and personal life. These include some of the letters that made up the correspondence between Vincent and his brother Theo.

Moving up to the first floor, this is where you'll find the bulk of the works by Van Gogh displayed in this museum. The paintings are arranged chronologically and into five sections that correlate nicely with periods of the artist's life based on where he lived at the time. When viewing the collection as a whole, it is easy to see how Van Gogh's style changed according to his surroundings - not just the locations but also the people with whom he surrounded himself.

The first section covers the paintings executed in the Netherlands and includes one his most famous works "The Potato Eaters" (1885). This was his first large-scale work featuring multiple figures. The general feel of these works is somewhat dull and gloomy. These works feature countryside and peasant scenes in muted tones.

The next section covers the works he produced whilst living in Paris. During this period, his brother, Theo, was also in Paris and working for an international art dealer. Theo introduced Vincent to the work of the Impressionist artists such as Monet and this had quite an effect on Van Gogh, causing him to use brighter colours and examining the effect of light on what he saw.

In 1886 Van Gogh moved to Arles in southern France and this period forms the next section of works. He invited his friend and fellow artist Paul Gauguin to join him there and he painted one of his most famous and valuable works, "Sunflowers", in anticipation of Gauguin's visit, to decorate his room.

This was also the period in which he painted the well-known and ever popular work "Bedroom at Arles" with it's bright colours, depicting rustic wooden furniture and a vibrant red cover over the bed. At this point his paintings were a far cry from the sombre peasant scenes of his earliest works. He had also developed his trademark brush strokes that define his style.

The next period is the time Van Gogh spent when he voluntarily admitted himself to the psychiatric hospital at Saint-Remy near Arles. His famous brushstrokes became even more defined as if he was painting in fast, nervous strokes. It was at this time he painted "Starry Night, Saint-Remy" (sadly it is not displayed in this collection) - the painting that inspired the song "Starry Starry Night". The subject matter and the palate used again became darker and it is clear to see that Vincent's mental state influenced his work. During this time, the head of the hospital said that Vincent should not leave the hospital and so the subject matter of these works is more narrow. He simply painted what he could see from the window of his cell-like room (minus the iron bars) and these works depict natural scenes of roots and trees.

The final section covers the paintings executed at Auvers-sur-Oise and show that some stability had returned as he painted vibrant wheatfields under vast bruised skies ("Wheatfields under Thunderclouds", 1890).

The works are arranged well but queues can build up around some of the more famous works. I believe that during busy periods timed tickets are issued in order to avoid the museum becoming too crowded and regulating the flow of traffic through the building but even so I would advise that at least two hours are needed to cover the major works of Van Gogh and the related works by other artists. This would take into account delays caused by groups on guided tours that can mean you have to wait until the group has moved on from the painting you're waiting to view.

While the building is wheelchair accessible, there are few places for people to sit while viewing the galleries and so I would suggest that people with mobility problems might find that this is not an ideal attraction to visit.

The presentation of the works is attractive and appealing in a contemporary way; the white walls and pale wooden floors mean that your attention is directed towards the art rather than to the building; it has none of the dramatic architecture older or more traditional galleries might have yet the striking design of the building is not swamped by the paintings. Altogether it works very well.

Thoroughly recommended for adults, less so for children – age twelve and over my suggestion.

Summary: Close to the top of Amsterdam's must-sees