The Groninger Museum is revisiting a pivotal moment in art history with its new exhibition, How Van Gogh Came to Groningen, which opened on November 30, 2024. The show highlights the efforts of 19th-century Groningen residents and University of Groningen students who brought modern art, including Vincent van Gogh’s work, to the northern Netherlands.
In 1896-97, six students, including Johan Huizinga – later a renowned historian – organized groundbreaking exhibitions at the Groninger Museum, featuring 128 Van Gogh pieces loaned from the collection of Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, the artist’s sister-in-law. The Groninger Museum notes that these exhibitions also showcased innovators such as Dutch painter Jan Toorop and French printmaker Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
According to the museum, these events marked a cultural transformation in Groningen. Influential professors and local artists began collecting and studying Van Gogh’s work, with his bold use of color inspiring the De Ploeg art movement.
The new exhibition also highlights a collaboration with the Minerva Art Academy, showcasing works by recent graduates. The Groninger Museum and Minerva share a historical connection: the academy now occupies the museum’s original 19th-century location.
The exhibition is accompanied by a book of the same name, partially authored by guest curator Mariëtta Jansen and published by WBooks, providing a detailed exploration of this formative period in modern art.
For more information, visit the Groninger Museum’s website.
