Under embargo: Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen buys Vincent van Gogh’s Still Life with Potatoes, presentation on 11 March 2024
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is proud to announce that it has acquired Still Life with Potatoes (Paris, winter 1886-87) by Vincent van Gogh. The painting will be presented from 11:00 am on Monday 11 March 2024 in the presence of the museum’s director and various funding organisations. Members of the press are welcome to pose questions and to film the presentation, which will take place at Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. Registration is essential and can be requested via rsvp@boijmans.nl with the subject Van Gogh 11 March 2024.
The ‘Potatoes’ are a pivotal point in Van Gogh's development: from the dark Brabant paintings to the splendidly colourful works he painted in France.Ina Klaassen, Director of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
Collection of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam. Gift from a private collection. Purchase with support from the Rembrandt Association (thanks in part to the Dura Kunstfonds, the Gisbert van Laack Fonds, the 19th-Century Painting Fund and the annual contribution from the Cultuurfonds), the Nationaal Museaal Aankoopfonds, the Mondriaan Fund, the Van Eyck Circle, the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Foundation, Boijmans Business Club and Boijmans Corporate Members, the VriendenLoterij, Bruynzeel, various private and corporate donors and funds from the estate of Mrs N.C. Van Riemsdijk-Borsje.
The painting has been on loan to Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen for more than forty years. The risk with a long-term loan – especially with such a big name as Vincent van Gogh – is that the owner will request its return or sell it, possibly abroad. This purchase ensures that this Van Gogh painting will be preserved for the National Art Collection. This acquisition would not have been made possible without the generous support of the Rembrandt Association, the Mondriaan Fund, the VriendenLoterij, private donors, companies and bequests. The museum thanks them all for their crucial support.
Vincent van Gogh painted Still Life with Potatoes in Paris, after studying for a short period at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 1885. While his paintings in his native Brabant – such as The Potato Eaters – had a dark, restricted palette, in France he was inspired to make brightly coloured works. Still Life with Potatoes is a pivotal work in this transition. It is less sombre in tone than his Dutch works and is very expressive. He wrote to his brother Theo about painting and depicting potatoes. Van Gogh said that he wanted to depict the potatoes in such a way that they would appear as as in real life. He wanted to give the impression that you could throw them.
Registration is essential and can be requested via rsvp@boijmans.nl with the subject Van Gogh 11 March 2024.
For more information, please contact Vincent Cardinaal, press officer:
vincent.cardinaal@boijmans.nl // +31 (0) 657 263 104
About Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
The world-renowned art collection of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen has over the span of 170 years expanded to more than 151,000 artefacts, which includes some 63,000 paintings, photos, films, pre-industrial design and design objects, contemporary art installations and sculptures, as well as 88,000 prints and drawings.
Contact details
-
- Vincent Cardinaal
- Persvoorlichter//Press Officer
- vincent.cardinaal@boijmans.nl
- +31657263104
Related topics
Related news
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen buys Vincent van Gogh’s Still Life with Potatoes
The painting was presented on 11 March 2024 at Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.
Beloved: Dalí, Kusama, Morisot, Rothko and many others come home to Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen
From Saturday 23 March 2024, Beloved & Beloved XL at Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen brings together almost 100 highlights from the collection of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.
Rosa Barba’s Performance in Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in association with IFFR: 1-4 February 2024
During the weekend of 1-4 February 2024, visual artist Rosa Barba will present two multidisciplinary performances at Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen: VOICE ENGINE and Hear, There Where the Echoes Are.
Step into the life and work of Lee Miller at Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen
Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen presents a special exhibition and book about the fascinating published oeuvre of photographer and Surrealist Lee Miller.