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Exhibition ‘Choosing Vincent’

A tribute to the Van Gogh family. Without the unconditional support that they offered Vincent, the Van Gogh Museum simply would not have existed.

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  • Exhibition Choosing Vincent
  • From 27 June 2025
  • Until 31 August 2025

How did Vincent van Gogh become a world-famous artist? To this day, his family plays an important role in this.

The exhibition Choosing Vincent. Portrait of a Family History is telling a personal story of doubt, setbacks, pride, and triumph. A story punctuated with dilemmas, seen through the eyes of Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), his brother Theo (1857-1891), Theo's wife Jo (1862-1925) and their son Vincent (1890-1978), named after his uncle.

In the multisensory exhibition, you get to know Vincent and his extraordinary family by looking, listening and doing. The many masterpieces and lesser-known gems show how the family collection grew to become a world-famous collection.

A mother and her two children are looking at Vincent van Gogh's painting Almond Blossom in the exhibition Choosing Vincent. Photo: Michael Floor

The painting and crowd favourite Almond Blossom has special meaning for the Van Gogh family. Vincent painted it as a gift for his newborn nephew.

Visitors in the exhibition 'Choosing Vincent', photo: Michael Floor

Discover all the stories behind the exhibition in the audio tour.

Children exploring the exhibition 'Choosing Vincent', photo: Michael Floor

Please do touch! Choose one of the frames and see how it looks with the painting on the wall.

Campaign image for the exhibition Choosing Vincent, with photos of Vincent van Gogh, his brother Theo and his wife Jo van Gogh-Bonger and their son Vincent with Almond Blossom in the background

Vincent van Gogh surrounded by his family. From left to right: Vincent (the engineer), Jo Van Gogh-Bonger, Vincent van Gogh, Theo van Gogh.

4K Tour

Wander through the exhibition free from fellow visitors and search your favourite painting.

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Catalogue

The book Choosing Vincent. From family collection to Van Gogh Museum explains how the collection of many masterpieces stayed together after Vincent van Gogh's death and how it could be housed in its own museum over 50 years ago.

The catalogue features many unknown historical photos of the Van Gogh family and photographs from the museum's early days.

The catalogue is available at the museum shop and webstore, in English and Dutch.

Visit the webstore

See and do at the exhibition

Audio tour

The audio tour takes you through the choices Vincent's family faced. You will see the world through their eyes and they themselves will speak. There are two audio tours available: one for adults and one for children between the ages of 6 and 12. You can easily book the audio tour online, together with your entrance ticket.

Please do touch!

Which frame goes best with a painting? Find out for yourself by trying out different frames on the wall. Or put yourself in Vincent's shoes by deciding for yourself which paintings by Vincent you want to submit for an important exhibition from that time period.

Treasure Hunt

Pick up the free treasure hunt at the information desk and answer questions about Van Gogh's art, his life and the important choices his family made.

With thanks to

This exhibition is supported by: