Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is a museum of visual arts, located at the museum park in Rotterdam. The museum shows creatures in the field of visual arts, applied art and design. The collection of drawings is one of the most important in the world. Boijmans Van Beuningen offers an overview of Dutch and European art, from the early Middle Ages to the 21st century. Among other things are the paintings ‘The Little Tower of Babel’ from 1563 of Bruegel, ‘The Three Maries’ by Jan van Eyck, and ‘Titus’ of Rembrandt, as well as the ‘Lips Bank’ of Salvador Dalí. The setting belongs to the top of the Dutch art museums.

The museum opened in 1849. It houses the collections of Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans (nl) (1767–1847) and Daniël George van Beuningen (1877–1955). In the collection, ranging from medieval to contemporary art, are works of Rembrandt, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and Salvador Dalí.

The museum building, designed in 1930’s architecture, includes a showcase and a library next to exhibition halls. There is also an espresso bar and a petit restaurant overlooking the museum garden. Guided tours are available on request.

A visit to Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is a journey through the history of art. Dutch and European masterpieces provide a comprehensive survey of art from the early Middle Ages to the 21st century, from Bosch, Rembrandt and Van Gogh to Dalí and Christo.

Art collection
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is one of the oldest museums in the Netherlands. In 1849 the lawyer Boijmans left his art collection to he city of Rotterdam. With the acquisition of the Van Beuningen collection in 1958 the museum got the second part of its name. The museum houses a unique collection of paintings, sculptures and everyday objects. The collection of prints and drawings is one of the best in the world. The museum also organises a diverse programme of spectacular temporary exhibitions throughout the year. Old and modern masters

Marvel at the beautiful works by Bruegel the Elder and Rembrandt. Follow the development of Impressionism and Modernism in the paintings of Monet, Van Gogh and Mondriaan. Lose yourself in the dream world of the Surrealists Dalí and Magritte. And the art is not only inside: the museum has a wonderful view of the sculpture garden.

The museum shows how everyday objects have changed over the last eight hundred years, from medieval jugs and glassware from Holland’s Golden Age to Rietveld furniture and contemporary Dutch design. A young generation of visual artists such as Eliasson and Cattelan bring the museum’s art collection up to date.

The museum’s monumental building opened in 1935. It was designed by the municipal architect Van der Steur specially to house the collection. The stately redbrick building contains both large galleries where art can be viewed in daylight and more intimate spaces. The building survived the bombing of the city in 1940 and has been extended several times over the years. To this day the building’s tower remains a beacon in the city.

The museum has a diverse collection ranging from medieval to contemporary art, with somewhat of a focus on Dutch art. Much of the collection came to the museum through the two private collections mentioned above, but many others have contributed throughout the years.

Among the best-known artists that are exhibited in the permanent exhibition of the museum are Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Rembrandt, Claude Monet, Wassily Kandinsky, Vincent van Gogh, Maurizio Cattelan, Paul Cézanne, René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, Mark Rothko, Edvard Munch and Willem de Kooning.

Old painting and sculpture:
In the permanent collection, famous masterpieces of artists such as Jheronimus Bosch, Albrecht Dürer, Pieter Bruegel de Oude and Rembrandt are recorded.

Modern Art:
The visitor can follow the origin of impressionism and modernism with paintings by Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Claude Monet, Kees van Dongen, Paul Cézanne, Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian. Also included is the collection of works by surrealist artists Salvador Dalí, René Magritte and Man Ray.

Modern Art:
With new generation artists such as Matthew Barney, Olafur Eliasson and Maurizio Cattelan, the museum plays on international artistic news.

False art:
A black page in the history of the museum was the purchase of a fake Vermeer. Han van Meegeren sold in 1937 to the museum, the “newly discovered” Emmaus gangers of Vermeer. But it was not a true Johannes Vermeer but a true van Meegeren, painted in the style of Vermeer so pale later. Van Meegeren had many leading art connoisseurs, including Boijmans Van Beuningen Director Dirk Hannema, leading the garden.

Arts and crafts:
The museum shows how utilities have evolved over eight centuries. From medieval jars and glass from the Golden Age to the furniture of Rietveld and contemporary Dutch Design. The objects from the collection can be found in the ALMA database.

Printskabinet:
In the print cabinet of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, located in the free accessible entrance area of ​​the museum, a world-renowned collection of prints and drawings is kept. Regularly there are varied presentations of prints and drawings from the collection. In addition, the visitor can digitally retrieve work from the depot and view them on a special show table. A 25 meter long glass wall provides a view of the entire depot. The print cabinet and depot are designed by Marieke van Diemen.

The collection also includes one of the richest assembly of works on paper (etchings, drawings, lithographs, etc.) in the world from the Middle Ages to the present times.