Exhibition Vive l’impressionnisme!

In 2024, it is 150 years since Claude Monet’s Impression, Sunrise (1872, Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris) stirred a critic to condescendingly write about ‘The Exhibition of the Impressionists’. This represented a major art-historical milestone: the ‘birth’ of Impressionism.

To celebrate this anniversary, the exhibition Vive l’impressionnisme! Masterpieces from Dutch Collections will be on display at the Van Gogh Museum from 11 October 2024 to 26 January 2025.

Impressionism

Artists including Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Berthe Morisot, Alfred Sisley and Paul Cézanne used loose brushwork and bright colours to capture how they perceived light at a specific and changeable moment – an impression.

Their best paintings from Dutch public and private collections will be exhibited alongside Impressionistic pastels, sculptures, drawings and prints, also from Dutch collections.

To collect, or not to collect?

But when and how did these French artworks come to the Netherlands? And was the Netherlands ready to embrace a modern art movement from Paris?

The exhibition shows how the visionary mindset and resolute dealings of a number of individuals, including Theo van Gogh, resulted in a range of outstanding works making their way to the Netherlands. But which masterpieces slipped through the net, and how can this be explained?

Boulevard of Broken Dreams

The installation Boulevard of Broken Dreams showcases Impressionist masterpieces that could have become part of the national collection if other decisions had been made. The installation was designed by light artist Nick Verstand (1984).

Guided Tours

Discover the stories hidden behind the artworks in the exhibition Vive l’impressionnisme! Topstukken uit Nederlandse collecties. Book a private guided tour of the exhibition or join a guided tour on the day.

Painting workshops

What is it like to paint using dots or short dashes? This workshop starts with a close look at several paintings in which these techniques have been used. Then you'll create your own artwork in the studio.

Audio tour

Discover more about the art in the exhibition with the interactive audio tour, available in twelve languages: English, Dutch, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Chinese (Mandarin), Korean, Japanese, and Ukrainian. You can easily book the audio tour online, together with your entrance ticket.

Catalogue

The exhibition is accompanied by the catalogue 150 Years of Impressionism – The Netherlands Sees the Light, which will continue to be a reference book after the exhibition ends. This richly illustrated publication brings together information about the French Impressionist masterpieces in Dutch public collections for the first time, including paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures.

This publication includes descriptions of each work, delving into how it arrived in the Netherlands and who played a pivotal role in that process. Available in the museum shop and webstore, in English and Dutch, € 34.95.

Collaboration

The exhibition Vive l’impressionnisme! Masterpieces from Dutch Collections is organised together with Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and is underpinned by a unique collaboration with other prominent Dutch public and private collections, such as:

• Kröller-Müller Museum;
• Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam;
• Kunstmuseum Den Haag;
• Rijksmuseum Amsterdam;
• Rijksmuseum Twenthe;
• Singer Laren;
• Teylers Museum;
• Museum de Fundatie;
• De Mesdag Collectie.

With thanks to

This exhibition is supported by: