MUSEUM BOIJMANS VAN BEUNINGEN, Rotterdam

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Museumpark 18,

3015 CX Rotterdam, 

+31 10 441 9400

THE MUSEUM IS CLOSED FOR RESTORATION UNTIL 2026 but The Depot is open next door where all the museum’s collections are available to view.

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Despite being one of the oldest museums in the Netherlands, the contemporary collections at Boijmans Van Benuingen brings the more traditional exhibits to life. There are frequent temporary and rotating exhibitions introduced to revitalize the permanent collections, younger generation artists such as Olafur Eliasson moving the artistry of Holland’s Golden Age toward Rietfield furniture and modernist Dutch design, assessing the role of contemporary art in the everyday.

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 Dutch Design.

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is one of the oldest museums in the Netherlands. In 1849 the lawyer Boijmans left his art collection to the 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.

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.