In the 19th century, bridges and trains made it easier to visit places outside of Paris. And yet smoking factory chimneys increasingly dominated the horizon. This exhibition reveals how artists captured these changes in their artworks.
Exhibition ‘Van Gogh along the Seine’
This pioneering exhibition explores for the very first time how the area along the Seine in the Paris suburbs was crucial to the artistic development of Vincent van Gogh, Paul Signac, Georges Seurat, Emile Bernard and Charles Angrand.
Nature and industry
Five ambitious artists – Vincent van Gogh, Paul Signac, Georges Seurat, Emile Bernard and Charles Angrand – travelled to the banks of the Seine to paint. Surrounded by green, they captured the changes ushered in by the burgeoning industry. Here they found new, contemporary motifs and developed their use of colour and painting techniques.
Asnières had a particular impact on the artistic development of these artists.
Asnières
Asnières is located close to Paris, on the Seine. Until about 1850, it was renowned as an idyllic green suburb where city-dwellers headed to relax. In the second half of the 19th century, the area around Asnières became increasingly marked by the booming industry. Attracted by the changing landscape and the easy access from Paris, artists travelled to Asnières to paint.
The exhibition explores the role played by Asnières and the Seine in the artistic development of Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat, Paul Signac, Emile Bernard and Charles Angrand.
To do at the exhibition
Short film
Award-winning designer Christian Borstlap made a short film introducing the exhibition Van Gogh along the Seine.
Guided tours
Delve deeper into the exhibition, and discover the stories hidden behind the artworks. Book a private guided tour of the exhibition, or join a guided tour on the day.
Painting workshops
What is it like to paint using dots or short dashes? Join the Workshop: Impressionist and Pointillist Painting and make a painting just like the artists of the exhibition. The English-spoken workshops are on Sunday.
Audio tour
Listen to fascinating stories about the artworks on display and get more out of your visit. The audio tour is available in 11 languages. Simply book the audio guide at the same time as your online ticket.
Gallery texts
The gallery texts for this exhibition are now also available in an accessible PDF. Prefer not to read from a screen? A booklet with the collated gallery texts, printed in large font, is available at the Information Desk in the Atrium.
Download the gallery texts PDF, 75.8 MB
Catalogue
The richly illustrated catalogue offers insight into how the area around Asnières inspired the five painters. Van Gogh and the Avant-Garde: Along the Seine features essays by researchers and curators, and is edited by Bregje Gerritse from the Van Gogh Museum and Jacquelyn N. Coutré from the Art Institute of Chicago. The book is available in English and Dutch, € 29.95.
The exhibition is a collaboration with The Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition Van Gogh and the Avant-Garde: The Modern Landscape is on view until 4 September 2023.