Museum Jan van der Togt

Museum Jan is a modern visual art museum located in Amstelveen, near Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Established in 1991 by industrialist and art collector Jan van der Togt, the institution was originally named Museum Jan van der Togt until it was renamed Museum Jan in January 2020. The museum holds particular significance for its dedication to preserving a private collection as a public institution, with notable strengths in modern glass art, especially avant-garde Czech glass, alongside paintings and sculptures by prominent modern and contemporary artists.

Jan van der Togt (1905-1995), founder of the household products company Tomado, established the museum in 1991 to ensure his personal collection of contemporary art and glass remained intact and accessible to the public. To achieve this, he formed a foundation with the specific purpose of creating a public museum. The artist Jan Verschoor was among those involved in the museum's establishment and construction. The museum opened the same year in the old village center of Amstelveen, operating under the name Museum Jan van der Togt until January 2020, when it became Museum Jan.

The museum's holdings encompass paintings, sculptures, and a particularly significant collection of modern glass art. The glass collection has earned recognition for its depth in avant-garde Czech glass, representing a specialized area of expertise within European studio glass. Beyond its permanent holdings, the museum organizes multiple solo exhibitions annually, presenting established figures in modern visual art as well as emerging talents. This dual programming of collection displays and temporary exhibitions creates a dynamic platform for both historical and contemporary engagement with modern art.

The permanent collection features works by major modern artists including Eugène Brands, Karel Appel, Corneille, Ans Wortel, Anton Heyboer, and Hugo Claus. The glass collection holds particular distinction through its masterpieces by avant-garde Czech artists, notably Václav CigMeshes by Libenský & Brychtová, Maria Lugosi, Bruno Pedrosa, Václav Cigler, and Aleš Vašícek. The museum has also exhibited works by Ans Markus, Herman Brood, and Kamagurka, reflecting a breadth that spans CoBrA-affiliated painters, expressive figuration, and contemporary voices.

The museum is situated in the old village center of Amstelveen, a location in the province of North Holland that places it within the Amsterdam metropolitan area. The building was completed and opened in 1991 with modern interior fittings, designed specifically to house the collection and accommodate exhibition programming. Its placement in the historic core of Amstelveen integrates the modern institution within a traditional Dutch town setting.

Museum Jan operates as a public institution in Amstelveen, Netherlands, accessible via its website at www.jvdtogt.nl. The museum maintains an active exhibition schedule with several temporary exhibitions each year supplementing displays from its permanent collection. As a foundation-established museum originating from a private collection, it continues to fulfill its founder's intention of keeping the collection together while serving as a public resource for modern visual art in the region.