BOIJMANS VAN BEUNINGEN MUSEUM

This huge and beautiful museum, with a considerable number of masterpieces, from ancient painters to the most modern designers, is undoubtedly one of the most important in the Netherlands. It was awarded the prize for the best museum in the country in the fall of 2010.

Completed in 1935, it takes its name from the two main donors who, along with others, have contributed to its exceptional wealth. These were F.-J.-O. Boijmans, a famous 19th century lawyer with a passion for paintings, drawings and porcelain, and, more recently, D.-G. Van Beuningen, a businessman and industrialist who devoted all his money to the acquisition of masterpieces. The building, which has a rather modern appearance, is especially remarkable for the lighthouse-shaped turret (the lighthouse of culture) that dominates it.

Three series of works have completed the building, one in 1972, which allowed the construction of an additional wing (intended to house modern artworks); the other in 1990, on the garden side, which gave rise to the Van Beuningen de Vriese pavilion (intended for temporary exhibitions of decorative arts). The most recent renovation and extension (in 2003) added about a quarter of additional exhibition space, which allows for the display of works by surrealist artists, among others.

Today, the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum has nearly 750,000 paintings and art objects in four departments: ancient painting, modern painting, decorative arts and design, and drawings and prints. We can thus move between several universes and several periods, in the middle of an eclectic and lively production. Dutch, Flemish, Italian and French painting are particularly honored, while temporary exhibitions allow you to discover contemporary artists from all horizons. This museum is a real playful discovery and the checkroom alone is worth the detour (we preserve the suspense). There is a cafeteria, accessible without a ticket, as well as a more complete restaurant with a superb view on the peaceful gardens of the museum. At the time of writing, a huge repository had just opened, this one will be the first repository in the world giving access to a complete collection of over 151,000 art objects accessible with a guide. This repository also allows visitors to observe the process of restoration and conservation. This new attraction is the work of MVRDV.