Art Museum

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is an art museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands. 4 works from its collection are in this catalog, including Albrecht Dürer and Claude Lorrain.

About Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

Municipal Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is an art museum in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The name of the museum is derived from its two most important donors, Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans and Daniël George van Beuningen. The museum is located at the Museumpark in the district Rotterdam Centrum, close to the Kunsthal and the Natural History Museum.

The museum opened in 1849. Since its inception, the museum has become the home to over 151,000 artworks. In the collection, ranging from medieval to contemporary art, are works of Rembrandt, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and Salvador Dalí and specific masterpieces such as the ‘Achilles series’ by Peter Paul Rubens and ‘A Cornfield, in the Background the Zuiderzee’ by Jacob van Ruisdael.

Overview & Identity

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is a major art museum located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Established in 1849, it has grown to house a collection of over 151,000 artworks spanning from the Middle Ages to the present day. The museum is renowned for its diverse holdings, which include paintings, sculptures, design objects, and a significant collection of works on paper such as etchings, drawings, and lithographs.

It serves as a central institution for art and design in the Netherlands, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually before its recent closure for renovation and the opening of its new depot.

History & Founding

The museum was founded in 1849, marking the beginning of its long history as a public institution. In April 1928, the Rotterdam Council decided to support the construction of a new building to replace the inadequate facilities on the Schiedamsedijk. This decision led to the commissioning of architect Alexander Van der Steur, who worked in cooperation with museum director Dirk Hannema.

The new building was constructed starting in 1931 and officially opened on July 6, 1935. The museum has continued to evolve, with an exhibition wing added in 1971 and the construction of the Van Beuningen de Vriese Pavilion, expanding its capacity to display its vast collections.

Building & Architecture

The main museum building, opened in 1935, was designed by Alexander Van der Steur, who considered it his most important work. Van der Steur's philosophy was that a museum should serve as a backdrop for art, prioritizing the display and appreciation of the collection rather than overshadowing it. He designed the building with unobtrusive stairwells and subtle level changes to minimize visitor fatigue, stating that museums can become 'torture' with poor lighting and heavy colors.

The architecture features interconnected courtyards, towers, and a harmonious interplay of materials, including contrasting sandstone and brick to create a timeless aesthetic. The design also incorporated extensive light studies to ensure optimal illumination, an approach that influenced later projects like the 1952 renovation of the Rijksmuseum.

Collection Highlights & Notable Holdings

The museum's collection is exceptionally diverse, ranging from medieval art to contemporary works. A significant portion of the holdings consists of works on paper, including etchings, drawings, and lithographs from the Middle Ages to the present. The museum also holds a rich assembly of design objects from 1500 to the present day, illustrating specific themes in design history.

Notable examples include Oriental porcelain from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a 17th-century tulip chest, and modern furniture like an Eames chair. The collection also features objects by Hella Jongerius and ceramics from the Middle Ages. The museum is also home to the Koenigs Collection, a major holding of drawings and prints.

Significance & Recent Developments

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is a significant cultural institution in the Netherlands, known for its innovative approach to museum architecture and its vast, diverse collection. The museum closed in mid-2019 to undergo major renovations and to open the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, a publicly accessible art storage facility. In 2024, the museum continued its operations with new exhibitions, including a notable exhibition of Mark Rothko's work in April 2025.

The institution has also been the subject of public discourse regarding the provenance of the Koenigs Collection, with the museum clarifying its cooperation with investigations. Under the direction of Ina Klassen since 2022, the museum continues to engage the public through education programs, digital initiatives like ARTtube (which ceased in 2018), and television series on art.