Page 253 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

A MSTERD A M  251

the national museum of
modern art, showing works
by well-known names such as
Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, and
Monet. Constantly changing
exhibitions reflect the latest
developments not only in
painting and sculpture, but
also in printing, drawing,
photography, video, and
industrial design.
Among the museum’s best
collections are works by the
Dutch painter Mondriaan
(1872–1944). One of the
founding members of De Stijl
(The Style) – an artistic
The Bedroom, painted during Van Gogh’s stay in Arles, France
movement which espoused
i Van Gogh museum’s collection. Famous clarity and simplicity –
Mondriaan went on to produce
Museum works include The Potato Eaters many abstract geometrical
(1885), from the artist’s Dutch compositions, such as
Museumplein 6. Tel 020-570 5200.
v 2, 3, 5, 12. Open daily. period, The Bedroom (1888), Composition in Red, Black,
Closed Jan 1. & 7 9 - = painted to celebrate his achieve- Blue, Yellow, and Grey.
∑ vangoghmuseum.com ment of domestic stability in Other artists represented
the Yellow House in Arles, and in the exhibitions include the
Vincent Van Gogh (1853–90), Vase with Sunflowers (1889). One American photographer Man
born in Zundert, began of Van Gogh’s last paintings is Ray (1890–1977), the Russian
painting in 1880. He worked in the dramatic Wheatfield and Kazimir Malevich (1878–1935),
the Netherlands for five years, Crows (1890). The menacing founder of the abstract
before moving to Paris, crows and violence of movement Suprematism,
and then settling at the sky show the and the Swiss sculptor Jean
Arles (see pp192–3) in depth of the artist’s Tinguely (1925–91), who
the south of France mental anguish in created humorous sculptures
in February 1888. the last few weeks from junk and recycled metal.
There he painted before his death. Reopened in 2012 after a
more than 200 In addition to Van renovation program, the
canvases in 15 Gogh’s works, the museum now features a
months. During his museum displays spectacular annexe (known as
time in France, paintings by artists ”the bathtub”) for temporary
however, Van Gogh who influenced, or exhibitions. The terrace offers
suffered recurrent were influenced by, great views of Museumplein.
nervous crises, Vincent Van Gogh him, as well as works
hallucinations, and in 1871 by his friends and
depression. After a colleagues, such as
fierce argument with the French Gauguin and Toulouse-Lautrec.
artist Gauguin, he cut off part of
his own ear and his mental o Stedelijk
instability forced him into an
asylum. Van Gogh’s final years Museum
were characterized by Museumplein 10. Tel 020-573 2911.
tremendous bursts of activity. v 2, 3, 5, 12. Open 10am–6pm daily
During the last 70 days of his (to 10pm Thu). & 7 0 - =
life he painted 70 canvases. In ∑ stedelijk.nl
July 1890 he shot himself and
died two days later. He was on The Stedelijk Museum was
the verge of being acclaimed. designed to hold a personal
Van Gogh’s younger brother collection bequeathed to the
Theo, an art dealer, amassed a city in 1890 by art connoisseur
collection of 200 of his Sophia de Bruyn. It is housed in
paintings and 500 drawings. a late 19th-century Neoclassical
These, together with around building, adorned with statues
850 letters written by the artist of famous artists and architects. Statue of 16th-century artist Pieter Aertsen
to Theo, form the core of the In 1938, the museum became on the Stedelijk’s facade

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