“White House At Night” by Vincent van Gogh, June 1890, Hermitage Museum. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons [Public domain])
As new lockdowns are implemented across Europe and cases sky rocket in the United States, it is comforting to enjoy beauty and culture in safe ways. With the Netherlands returning to lockdown, a consortium of museums is doing their part to bring the work of one of the world’s most famous artists to the global masses. Van Gogh Worldwide is a new project by a group of Dutch museums which presents a digital collection of over 1,000 of the artist’s masterpieces. Building off the digitized collection begun several years ago by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, almost half of the post-Impressionist works of this prolific artist are now available to view—with scholarly commentary—from the safety of your own home.
Van Gogh lived from 1853 to 1890, but the majority of his famous paintings were completed in the final two years of his life. Many of these 860 oil paintings—with his trademark thick, lyrical brushwork—are available to view through Van Gogh Worldwide. Although Van Gogh was best known for oil masterpieces such as The Starry Night, he was also a prolific sketch artist. His pencil and paper drawings are worth exploration; they depict landscapes as well as emotive figures from Van Gogh’s everyday life. Van Gogh Worldwide provides insight into these works of art and the artist behind them. One can also find behind-the-scenes museum information, such as details of restorations, verso (back) images, and other curatorial notes.
At present, Van Gogh Worldwide only includes works held in Dutch museums. These institutions include the Van Gogh Museum, Kröller-Müller Museum, the Rijksmuseum, the Netherlands Institute for Art History, and the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. Many other works by Van Gogh can be viewed online through the websites of museums scattered throughout the world. Adding these works to the database is a future goal of the project. The popular fascination with Van Gogh endures and propels the project. Now art enthusiasts globally can enjoy the Dutch national treasure that is Vincent Van Gogh.
Dutch museums have launched a new online project known as Van Gogh Worldwide—a database of over 1,000 works by Vincent van Gogh.
“Self-Portrait” by Vincent van Gogh, 1887, Art Institute of Chicago. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons [Public domain])
Building off a previous online collection from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, other Dutch museums have joined together to make Van Gogh’s works available online alongside historical, artistic, and curatorial commentary.
“The Church in Auvers sur Oise, View from the Chevet” by Vincent van Gogh, June 1890, Musée d’Orsay. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons [Public domain])
Although the iconic post-Impressionist is best known for paintings such as The Starry Night, he was also a prolific sketch artist.
“Worn Out” by Vincent van Gogh, November 1882, Van Gogh Museum. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons [Public domain])
During a time of soaring cases and renewed lockdowns across the globe, Van Gogh Worldwide allows for the global experience of great art from the safety of your own home.
“Olive Trees with the Alpilles in the Background” by Vincent van Gogh, June 1889, Museum of Modern Art. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons [Public domain])
Van Gogh Worldwide: Website
h/t: [ArtNews]
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