The full story
The Van Gogh Museum opened in 1973 after the artist’s works passed through a family collection. When Vincent van Gogh died in 1890, his unsold works went to his brother Theo; after Theo’s death, they came to his widow, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger. She sold some paintings while retaining a collection that later passed to their son, Vincent Willem van Gogh. The works were eventually transferred to the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, creating the basis for a dedicated museum. Its main building was designed by Gerrit Rietveld, though he died before completion, and a later exhibition wing by Kisho Kurokawa expanded the museum. That family history changes the visit: the galleries are not simply a greatest-hits display, but the result of a collection kept together long enough to show an artist’s development in depth.