Library

If you are looking for specific physical or digital publications, browse our library catalogue and send us an email with the titles and shelf marks of the publications that you would like to view in the study room.

Most of the publications in our catalogue can only be viewed in the study room. It is not possible to borrow publications, but they can be reserved for longer periods of time.

• Browse the catalogue
• Contact the Library

The Library is home to a comprehensive selection of relevant publications on the visual arts from the period 1800-1920, with a focus on Vincent’s life and work, his contemporaries, the artists who inspired him, and those whom he inspired. You’ll also find historical sources that transport you back to the fascinating art world of the 19th century.

All of the books that Vincent is known to have read are available in the Library. Some of these are the actual books owned by Vincent, or by his family. Our collection includes the complete 19th-century library from Amsterdam art society Arti et Amicitiae, and books from this collection can be viewed at the Library on request.

All of Vincent’s artworks have been meticulously documented, including the works in the collections of other museums. In the study room, you’ll find publications about the artworks, as well as information about the history of the Van Gogh Museum and The Mesdag Collection, and on the exhibitions held at the museums. Correspondence and other (digital) records can also be viewed in the Library.

The Van Gogh Museum Library is home to more than 35,000 books and articles, and we subscribe to more than 20 journals and auction catalogues. The Library acquires some 1,000 publications every year.