Why go
The institution brings Dutch painting into a broader European story, with collection holdings associated with Rembrandt, Monet, Van Gogh and Dalí. Its origins in private collecting also explain its breadth. Before planning a visit around a particular artist, check the museum's official information for locations, access and displays.
The full story
The museum began in 1849 with the collection of Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans. Its early history was disrupted by a fire in 1864, which destroyed much of the original collection. The institution's development therefore involved both loss and the later growth of its holdings. Daniël George van Beuningen's collection was added in 1958, bringing the second name into the museum's identity. Other donors also contributed over the years. These different origins help explain a collection that crosses periods rather than following a single artist or movement. Alongside paintings, works on paper form a substantial part of that history: drawings, etchings and lithographs broaden the account beyond pictures made for walls. This is useful context when considering Boijmans within Rotterdam's cultural landscape, near the Kunsthal and Natural History Museum. Together, these neighbouring institutions give Museumpark a cultural identity that extends beyond any one collection.