Theo and Vincent van Gogh collected art by their contemporaries, and these works are still an essential part of the Van Gogh Museum’s collection. It is my great pleasure to invite you to discover this part of the museum’s collection, which has now received the comprehensive academic attention it deserves for the very first time. The brothers’ collection of works by their contemporaries is vital within the museum, as they place Vincent van Gogh’s work in the artistic context in which it was made.

This catalogue combines the genesis of the collection with the fascinating stories behind the individual objects. The works were made, collected and cherished for good reason, and all of these aspects come together in this collection. The research underlying this catalogue reveals how Vincent’s and Theo’s tastes developed, how they built their joint network in the Parisian art world, and how they took a strategic approach to the works they acquired. The new digital environment now enables you to discover the many layers of this collection.

The Van Gogh Museum already has considerable experience with online publications. This started with the online edition of Van Gogh’s letters in 2009, made in collaboration with the Huygens Institute, and was followed by a number of impressive digital publications.

The page Van Gogh Museum Articles was also launched on the museum website in 2019, featuring academic essays by our researchers, curators and restorers. The museum has only previously released one digital collection catalogue: Odilon Redon and Andries Bonger: 36 Works from the Van Gogh Museum Collection, by Fleur Roos Rosa de Carvalho (2022). The present catalogue of Van Gogh’s contemporaries represents a significant step: it is published in a specially developed, fully searchable digital environment. Previously published collection catalogues (both digital and physical) will also be included in this new digital environment in the future.