Choosing Vincent

The core of the Van Gogh Museum’s collection consists of the paintings, drawings, prints and letters of Vincent van Gogh, as well as a substantial group of artworks by his contemporaries, which Vincent assembled with his brother Theo. The fact that the collection was kept together and eventually housed in a dedicated museum is entirely to the credit of the Van Gogh family.

Following Theo’s tragic death, barely six months after that of Vincent himself, his widow Jo van Gogh-Bonger devoted her life to raising awareness of this magnificent legacy. The international fame that Van Gogh’s work enjoys today is due in large part to her efforts. To keep the collection intact, Theo and Jo’s son – named Vincent after his uncle – set out to have a museum built. So it was that the Van Gogh Museum opened its doors to the public in 1973, the fiftieth anniversary of which falls in 2023. Choosing Vincent looks back over a tale of doubt, setbacks and triumph, while highlighting many of the masterpieces and lesser-known gems from this unique collection.