Unprecedented. 10 years of special acquisitions and their stories

The exhibition will be on display at the Van Gogh Museum from 5 February 2021 Unprecedented. 10 years of special acquisitions and their stories on display.This exhibition will feature a large selection of artworks added to the museum's collection over the past 10 years.

Unprecedented showcases the full breadth of the Van Gogh Museum's collection: from paintings and drawings, prints, sculptures, and letters acquired through private donations to purchases at auction.

The Van Gogh Museum boasts more than just the world's largest collection of Van Gogh works: the unprecedented artworks in this exhibition are mostly by other artists, from big names like Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot, Edvard Munch, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, but also by lesser-known masters like Henri Guérard.

Besides the artworks themselves, the stories surrounding their acquisition also play a central role. The curators explain why a museum collects and why this task is so important. And how is it determined which works are eligible for addition to the collection?

Unknown focuses on both the art and these stories, which offer visitors ever-changing perspectives on the acquisition. A work of art isn't static, and a museum collection is alive.

Kloosterboer is responsible for the construction of the exhibition.