A warm welcome T
his year we’re delighted to be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, home to the largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh in the world. You can expect a packed programme of events as we continue our mission to inspire a diverse global audience with the life and work of Vincent van Gogh and his time – an artist who not only influenced so many other painters, but who continues to excite and surprise us today.
Through his paintings, drawings, sketches and letters Vincent offers new ways of seeing and new ways of doing, and we aim to stay true to that spirit of authenticity and bold creativity in our licensing programme. Each collaboration [see pp8–14] tells a fascinating story and helps us spread awareness of the Museum’s work and Vincent’s legacy far beyond these four walls, and we’d like to take this opportunity to offer a huge thank you to our fantastic licensing partners and wonderful local agents who make it all possible.
We’re very much looking forward to meeting as many of you as we can at this year’s trade shows. In the meantime, do visit www.vangoghmuseum.nl to find out more about our birthday plans – there’s lots to celebrate!
Marijn Veraart, head of global licensing m.veraart@vangoghmuseum.nl
Regional licensing managers
Greater China, South Korea j.howldar@vangoghmuseum.nl
Licensing product development and support
Intro 02
Maria Lievense licensing@vangoghmuseum.nl
Albertien Lykles licensing@vangoghmuseum.nl
Anne Erben licensing@vangoghmuseum.nl
Jordy Howldar
Judith Koster Benelux, EMEA j.koster@vangoghmuseum.nl
Eva Derksen UK, USA, South America, Japan, Benelux e.derksen@vangoghmuseum.nl
Jordy’s favourite Van Gogh artwork: The Pink Peach Tree, 1888
Judith’s favourite Van Gogh artwork: Seascape near Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, 1888
Eva’s favourite Van Gogh artwork: Wheatfield under Thunderclouds, 1890
Maria’s favourite Van Gogh artwork: Garden of the Asylum, 1889
Albertien’s favourite Van Gogh artwork: The Sower, 1888
Anne’s favourite Van Gogh artwork: Wheatfield with a Reaper, 1889
Marijn’s favourite Van Gogh artwork: Landscape with Houses, 1890
An artist for our times
Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) is one of our best known and most loved artists. His iconic paintings such as Sunflowers (1889) are famous the world over, while his life story, punctuated by periods of both mental strength and vulnerability, his love of nature and his determination to stay true to himself make him more relevant today than ever.
Although he worked as an artist for a relatively short time, from 1880 until his death 10 years later, Vincent van Gogh produced a body of work that would go on to shape the direction of modern art. Many of his early works, such as The Potato Eaters (1885), used dark tones, but after moving to Paris and becoming influenced by the Impressionist movement, his colour palette and his brushwork altered, becoming brighter and more expressive.
In the late 1880s he relocated to Arles in the south of France and there – inspired by the vivid colours of the landscape – he painted some of his most famous works, including The Yellow House (1888) and The Harvest (1888).
Vincent wrote regularly to his younger brother Theo, an art dealer, and his letters give an incredible insight into his thought processes and emotional state. “I want to touch people with my art,” he wrote in July 1882. “I want them to say, ‘he feels deeply, he feels tenderly.’”
Theo provided both emotional and financial support and in return, Vincent sent him his paintings; together the brothers amassed a large collection of Vincent’s own works, as well as pieces by his contemporaries and Japanese woodblock prints.
Sadly, Vincent was prone to depressive episodes over the course of his lifetime, and he died in hospital of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on 29 July 1890. Theo himself passed away just six months later, and it was left to his widow Jo – and later, the couple’s son Vincent Willem – to secure Vincent’s legacy, eventually securing a permanent home for the family collection of Vincent’s works: the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
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Above: The Potato Eaters (1885)
Right: Sunflowers (1889)
Below: The Museum holds over 700 of Vincent's letters.
Above: Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat (1887)
The road to the Van Gogh Museum
1853
1857
1869
Vincent is born in Zundert, the Netherlands. (Pictured below, centre, aged 19.)
1880-85
1886
1888
APR OCT FEB
1888
Theo, Vincent’s younger brother is born. (Below, second from left, as a young man.)
1889
Vincent starts work at the art dealer Goupil & Cie in The Hague. He later transfers to its London branch.
Vincent studies art in The Hague and Antwerp. He is supported financially by Theo, now an art dealer.
JAN MAY JUL MAY
1890
1890
Vincent admits himself to the Saint Rémy mental hospital.
Jo gives birth to a son, Vincent Willem van Gogh.
Vincent paints Almond Blossom as a gift.
Vincent relocates to Auvers near Paris.
1890 Days after completing Wheatfield with Crows, Vincent shoots himself in the chest. He dies two days later.
Vincent moves to Paris to live with Theo. Here he meets avantgarde artists.
1889
Vincent relocates to Arles in the south of France, hoping to establish an artists’ community at The Yellow House.
Paul Gauguin moves in with Vincent. After the pair row, Vincent cuts off almost all of his left ear.
1891
1925
1962
Theo dies, aged just 33.
Jo dies.
Vincent Willem van Gogh signs an agreement with the Dutch state and transfers ownership of the collection to the Vincent van Gogh Foundation.
Theo marries Johanna (Jo) Bonger. (Below, second from right.)
1973 The Van Gogh Museum opens its doors.
Timeline 04
50 years of inspiration
Home to 200 of Vincent’s paintings, close to 500 drawings and over 700 of his letters, as well as works by his contemporaries, the Van Gogh Museum is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with a packed programme of events, exhibitions and partnerships bringing people closer to Vincent as an artist and a person.
The family collection of Vincent’s artworks begun by his brother Theo and curated by Theo’s widow Jo and their son Vincent Willem can today be enjoyed by everyone, at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Its opening in 1973 was largely due to Vincent Willem’s efforts. Wanting to ensure that the family collection stayed intact after his death, he transferred ownership of the works in 1962 to the State-initiated Vincent van Gogh Foundation in return for the Dutch government’s commitment to construct a purpose-built museum to house them.
One of the best-known cultural institutions in the world, the Van Gogh Museum has a core mission: to share Vincent’s work and life with a diverse global audience, not only through regular exhibitions, painting workshops, lectures and live events –including the Meet Vincent van Gogh Experience (see p15), a technology-driven "immersive exhibition" – but also through licensing partnerships that connect Vincent’s work with new audiences across Asia, North America, EMEA and other key territories
Join the celebrations
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Below: The Museum was designed by Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld. An exhibition wing by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa was added in 1999.
Below: The Museum licensing team has designed an exclusive 50th artwork dedicated to Vincent’s flowers, with seven of Van Gogh's flower paintings combined in one festive bouquet.
The Van Gogh Museum at a glance
80% of visitors in 2022 were from overseas
2.3 million Instagram
The Van Gogh
1.4 million million estimated million YouTube views, 46k subscribers
visitors in 2022
2.6 million followers
WINNER:
#1
The Van Museum the largest Vincent van Gogh Health & Beauty Product or
Facts & figures 06
Partnerships with impact
With consumers more than ever looking for authenticity and to feel emotionally connected to brands, the Van Gogh Museum – with its unique insight into Vincent van Gogh’s life and work – offers its partners the opportunity to tell powerful stories.
Almost everyone knows Vincent van Gogh. “He’s a pop culture icon,” says Marijn Veraart, the Museum’s head of global licensing. “Globally, he has around 95% awareness.”
It’s no surprise, then, that the Museum is a go-to destination for brands looking to add value to their products. “In addition to hundreds of images, we also have almost all the letters that Vincent wrote to his brother Theo,” explains Marijn. “We know so much about what drove him. That and the fact that we’re a museum devoted to one single artist means we can offer an unparalleled insight into Vincent’s world.”
Shared values are important when it comes to choosing a licensing partner. “We come across brands that link beautifully to Vincent in what drives them or their consumers. Floral Street Fragrances [see p12] is a sustainable British brand, and as we’re working towards our own sustainability goals, partnering with
the company made perfect sense. We always try to find a ‘hook’, such as the importance of good mental health, which Manduka took as its inspiration for a range of yoga wear [p14].”
Brands are invited to push boundaries creatively – just as Vincent did – while those looking for inspiration can take advantage of two style guides; a third, out soon, will feature some of Vincent’s lesser-known paintings and line drawings to continue to offer consumers something new and surprising. Brands have access to everything the Museum holds, and can take advantage of its expertise in colour matching and its extensive online reach.
“We encourage our partners to make films throughout the creative process, as they work well on social media and show the passion that goes into each collaboration,” says Marijn. “That’s the core message. Vincent did everything with passion – and perseverance – and so should we.”
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Above centre: Styles from the MUD Jeans x Van Gogh Museum recycled denim collection. Inset: A Van Gogh-inspired duvet set by Dutch brand Beddinghouse.
Right: Marijn Veraart, the Museum’s head of global licensing.
assets for licensing partners to explore.
Creativity Inspired by…
Paying homage to Vincent’s boundless artistic energy and imagination, these stunning licensed products are designed to spark the creative impulse in all of us.
Designed to fuel creative practice, the Moleskine notebook is the successor to the legendary notebook used by artists and thinkers over the past two centuries. The Moleskine x Van Gogh Museum collection continues this historic legacy, encouraging consumers to draw, jot or journal, and be “relentlessly passionate in the search for your own uniqueness.”
“There is creativity in every one of us, and with this new collection of notebooks we celebrate our universal unrealised creative potential and the enduring power of Vincent van Gogh’s work.”
DANIELA RICCARDI, CEO, MOLESKINE
Inviting everyone to discover their creativity and push boundaries just as Vincent did, Royal Talens, the Museum’s global partner for art products, has produced a collection of art and drawing materials inspired by the colour palettes of some of Van Gogh’s masterpieces, including Sunflowers and Irises.
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Showcase
The creativ power be held what one must come
Vincent van brother Theo, Sunday, 3 June
Gogh to his Theo, The Hague, June 1883
Vincent van Gogh’s unique story, defiant personality and nomadic lifestyle make him an ideal (posthumous) sparring partner for Eastpak: the brand that’s dared to be different since its earliest beginnings. Its brand-new collection – directly inspired by Vincent’s words, “The creative power can’t be held back, what one feels must come out” – pays homage to the artist with a stylish backpack, bum bag, duffel and pouch, embellished with replica embroidered signature and lined with excerpts from his letters.
Dutch company BN Walls’ internationally successful Van Gogh wallpaper collections capture the “soul” of Vincent’s works through designs that incorporate his characteristic paint textures and brushstrokes.
Winner of a 2021 B&LLA for Best Brand Licensed Gifting Product or Range, the Blueprint x Van Gogh Museum collection of giftware and stationery features details of several letters and paintings from the Museum’s collections, including Pink Peach Tree and Self-Portrait with Pipe and Straw Hat
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creative ower can’t held back, one feels come out.
Inspired by…
Sustainability
Looking towards a more sustainable future, in 2022 the Museum partnered with circular fashion expert MUD Jeans for a recycled denim capsule collection. Featuring details of Vincent’s handwriting, applied to the garments using a chemical-free laser technique, as well as embroidered back prints of his paintings Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat and Almond Blossom, the collection won the Sustainable Brand Index Partnership of the Year Trade Award 2022–2023 and is nominated for a Licensing International Excellence Award 2023.
“The collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum was about creating longlasting denim pieces. Every piece of this capsule collection is a piece of art. It’s the opposite of fast fashion that we see all around us. We’re proud to make such a statement together.”
BERT VAN SON, CEO AND FOUNDER, MUD JEANS INTERNATIONAL
Hoping
Ecoffee Cup has been on the front line of the fight against single-use plastics since 2014, urging consumers to “choose to reuse” with its drinking cups made from eco-friendly materials. Its Van Gogh-inspired cups, available in two sizes, are decorated with details from Flowering Plum Orchard, Old Vineyard with Peasant Woman and other works.
Vincent van brother Theo, Sunday, 22
10 Showcase
for better mustn’t feeling but something the presen
Vincent’s unwavering belief in a brighter future is mirrored in these licensing partners’ sustainability efforts, which offer hope for a better tomorrow.
The colours of Van Gogh’s paintings are produced in stunning detail in the Beddinghouse x Van Gogh Museum collection of bedroom, bath and kitchen textiles. Known for its strong focus on sustainability as well as for innovation and quality, the Dutch brand has produced luxurious packaging for the range that is designed to be reused rather than thrown away.
Gogh to his Theo, The Hague, July 1883
A member of Products of Change, licensed calendar specialist Danilo is committed to investing in sustainability. Its Van Gogh Museum calendar 2023 is both plastic-free and FSC-certified.
Producing on-trend sneakers using sustainable practices that are “better for the planet and its people”, footwear brand Cariuma was a natural fit for the Van Gogh Museum’s licensing programme. Its eco-friendly Van Gogh-inspired collection will be available from July 2023.
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Hoping better times ustn’t be a but a doing mething in present.
Nature Inspired by…
Brought together by a shared concern for the environment, sustainable British brand Floral Street and the Van Gogh Museum partnered in 2021 for Sunflower Pop, a vegan perfume that captures the optimism and effervescence of Van Gogh’s iconic Sunflowers The perfume won a B&LLA for Best Brand Licensed Health & Beauty Product or Range in 2022, while the same year saw the partnership expand with eco-friendly Sunflower Pop and Sweet Almond Blossom room scent collections.
Featuring vibrant irises, sunflowers and fruit trees in bloom, the FILA x Van Gogh Museum collection pays homage to Vincent van Gogh’s passion for the natural world and brings a playful, uplifting vibe to the classic sportswear aesthetic. Available in China in FILA stores and online.
to his brother Theo, London, Thursday 30 April 1874
Vincent van GoghItalian olive oil producer Monini found a natural affinity in the work of Van Gogh, for whom the olive tree was a powerful symbol of man’s unity with nature. Its series of special-edition cans celebrating the 2022 exhibition Van Gogh and the Olive Groves, decorated with details from Vincent’s works of olive groves, won the Italian Food Award in 2022 and is nominated for a Licensing International Excellence Award 2023.
Showcase
If one truly loves nature, one finds beauty everywhere.
From flowers and orchards to olive groves, the natural world sparked some of Vincent’s best-known paintings, which are celebrated in these beautiful collections.
“Through this collaboration we’ve been able to tell our story in a new way, in which the beauty of fine art and fine fragrance meet.”
MICHELLE FEENEY, FOUNDER, FLORAL STREET
Inspired by…
Innovation
Online tech-accessories retailer Casely takes its design inspiration from Brooklyn, the “fast-paced, forward-thinking, and art-centered” area of New York where the company is based. Its Van Gogh phone cases, manufactured from 50% recycled TPU material, provide a modern canvas for Vincent’s art, putting his work directly in the hands of young, style-conscious global consumers.
Always in search of fresh inspiration, Vincent was a great admirer of Japanese art – the starting point for a partnership between the Van Gogh Museum and Be@rbrick, the Japanese collectible toy known for its collaborations with famous brands, cult figures and artists. Decorated with a special watercolour painting technique that ensured each one was unique, the resulting collection of three limited-edition bear designs sold out in a matter of days.
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I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.
Vincent van Gogh to Anthon van Rappard, Nuenen, on or about Tuesday, 18 August 1885
An artist ahead of his time, Vincent is known for pushing creative boundaries, a quality shared with these cutting-edge, design-focused licensing partners.
Wellbeing Inspired by…
Although he was resilient by nature, Vincent’s life involved periods of mental vulnerability as well as strength. Inspired by three paintings that he made while recovering at a clinic in Saint-Rémy – Wild Roses, Irises and Almond Blossom – the Manduka x Van Gogh Museum capsule collection of yoga wear and accessories has at its heart a search for peace and balance, a quest with which everyone can identify.
Online games developer BorderLeap teamed with the Van Gogh Museum for the January 2023 launch of Apple Arcade game Illustrated. Offering players a relaxing puzzle experience and a way to unwind as they uncover Van Gogh’s famous paintings and learn about the stories behind them, the game quickly rose to the top of the Apple Arcade charts.
14 Showcase
The beginning is perhaps more difficult than anything else, but keep heart, it will turn out all right.
Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo, The Hague, mid-January 1873
During turbulent times Vincent prioritised his search for mental peace, a journey that’s reflected in products that put wellbeing centre stage.
Meet Vincent van Gogh
The only official live immersive entertainment from the Van Gogh Museum and a smash hit in destinations across the globe, the Meet Vincent van Gogh Experience is a tech-driven touring experience that allows visitors to immerse themselves fully in Vincent’s world.
Inspired by the Van Gogh Museum’s unique collection of Vincent’s letters, the experience tells Vincent’s life story in his own words. Visitors are invited to get up close to large recreations of Van Gogh’s works, feel the technique of his brushstrokes and pull up a seat at the Potato Eaters table, climb a golden haystack in Arles and take a selfie in a life-sized recreation of Vincent’s bedroom, while listening to the stories behind his artworks.
Destinations
• Best Immersive Touring Museum Exhibit – Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement.
• Featuring interactive installations, fully automated children’s and adults’ audioguides and a compelling narrative.
• Lighting, graphics, sound and hi-tech set work beautifully simulate the world as Vincent saw it.
• Journey through the cafés, villages and houses that formed the backdrop to Vincent’s life.
• Hands-on activities for kids include portrait drawing and using perspective.
• Designed for families, schools, beginners and experts alike.
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2019 – Barcelona 2019 – Seoul 2020 – London 2020 – Lisbon 2022 – Madrid 2022 – Santiago de Chile 2023 – Buenos Aires
Above & right: Harnessing the creative powers of technology, the Meet Vincent van Gogh Experience allows visitors to engage with Vincent's art and life story in innovative and compelling new ways.
The Van Gogh Museum inspires a diverse audience all over the world with the life and work of Vincent van Gogh.
The Museum is represented by:
Italy, Switzerland
Art Studio 3
Valerio de Corzent Wanver, strategic planning director/account executive manager
UK, Ireland
Licensing Link
Chris Taday, director
Ian Wickham, director
Germany, Austria, Switzerland
TBR The Brand Residence
Marlies Rasl, manager director/CEO
EMEA, Australia
(except Benelux, UK and Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
Sven Thierhoff, vice president international
Asia
Miki Yamamoto, senior vice president licensing
USA
Maria Fundator, senior licensing director
South America
Glenn Migliaccio, licensing director
