Van Abbemuseum
Encyclopedia
Van Abbemuseum is a museum
of modern
and contemporary art
located in central Eindhoven, Netherlands
, on the east bank of the Dommel
river. Established in 1936, the Abbe Museum is named after its founder, Abbe Henri. Abbe was a lover of modern art and wanted to enjoy it there from Eindhoven. As of 2010 the collection of the museum houses more than 2700 works of art, of which about 1000 are on paper
, are 700 painting
s, and 1000 are sculpture
s, installations and video
work.
With an area of 9,825 m2, monument number 507030, the museum holds one of the largest collections of paintings in the world by El Lissitzky
. It also has works by Pablo Picasso
and Wassily Kandinsky
.
manufacturer, Henri van Abbe. In return for buying some of his collection, the Van Abbe factory paid for and donated the museum building to house the collection which opened in 1936. The city had architect
Alexander Kropholler design a building which is a symmetrical suite of galleries in a relatively traditional style. The collection contained works by Jan Sluijters, Carel Willink
and Isaac Israëls
amongst others, mostly Dutch and Belgian contemporary works. The museum also bought other artworks from Henri van Abbe before his death in 1940.
.
More recent acquisitions include pieces by Pablo Picasso
, Wassily Kandinsky
and Piet Mondrian
. The museum is also internationally renowned for having one of the largest collections of works by El Lissitzky
.
The museum also houses the collection of posters made by the Situationist Jacqueline de Jong
in Paris
during May 1968.
The collection developed most under the diretorships of Edy de Wilde and Rudi Fuchs. While De Wilde bought the classical modernist works by Picasso etc, Fuchs bought his own generation in particular conceptual work from the USA and German painting. The new Director, Charles Esche
has pursued a more geographically diverse collecting policy concentrating on work from central and eastern Europe including Solakov, Stilinovic, Sasnal, Zmijewski as well as video works by Yael Bartana.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
of modern
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
and contemporary art
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
located in central Eindhoven, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, on the east bank of the Dommel
Dommel
The Dommel is a creek in Belgium and the Netherlands, left tributary of the Dieze. It rises in north-eastern Belgium near Peer and flows into the southern part of the Netherlands. The Dommel takes in water from the Keersop, Tongelreep, Run, Gender and Kleine Dommel streams and merges at...
river. Established in 1936, the Abbe Museum is named after its founder, Abbe Henri. Abbe was a lover of modern art and wanted to enjoy it there from Eindhoven. As of 2010 the collection of the museum houses more than 2700 works of art, of which about 1000 are on paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
, are 700 painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s, and 1000 are sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s, installations and video
Videography
Videography refers to the process of capturing moving images on electronic media even streaming media). The term includes methods of video production and post-production...
work.
With an area of 9,825 m2, monument number 507030, the museum holds one of the largest collections of paintings in the world by El Lissitzky
El Lissitzky
, better known as El Lissitzky , was a Russian artist, designer, photographer, typographer, polemicist and architect. He was an important figure of the Russian avant garde, helping develop suprematism with his mentor, Kazimir Malevich, and designing numerous exhibition displays and propaganda works...
. It also has works by Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
and Wassily Kandinsky
Wassily Kandinsky
Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky was an influential Russian painter and art theorist. He is credited with painting the first purely-abstract works. Born in Moscow, Kandinsky spent his childhood in Odessa. He enrolled at the University of Moscow, studying law and economics...
.
History
The museum's original collection was bought by Eindhoven City Council in 1934 in an agreement with the private collector and local cigarCigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
manufacturer, Henri van Abbe. In return for buying some of his collection, the Van Abbe factory paid for and donated the museum building to house the collection which opened in 1936. The city had architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Alexander Kropholler design a building which is a symmetrical suite of galleries in a relatively traditional style. The collection contained works by Jan Sluijters, Carel Willink
Carel Willink
Albert Carel Willink was a well known Dutch painter who called his style of Magic realism "imaginary realism".Willink was born in Amsterdam, the eldest son of the mechanic Jan Willink and Wilhelmina Altes...
and Isaac Israëls
Isaac Israëls
Isaac Lazarus Israëls was a Dutch painter.The son of the painter Jozef Israëls, Isaac Israëls developed an interest in painting in childhood. Between 1878 and 1880 he studied at the academy in The Hague...
amongst others, mostly Dutch and Belgian contemporary works. The museum also bought other artworks from Henri van Abbe before his death in 1940.
Present day
As the building had become far too small for modern demands, a new extension to the building, including a 27 metre high tower, was designed by Abel Cahen; it was inaugurated in 2003 by Queen BeatrixBeatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba. She is the first daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She studied law at Leiden University...
.
More recent acquisitions include pieces by Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
, Wassily Kandinsky
Wassily Kandinsky
Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky was an influential Russian painter and art theorist. He is credited with painting the first purely-abstract works. Born in Moscow, Kandinsky spent his childhood in Odessa. He enrolled at the University of Moscow, studying law and economics...
and Piet Mondrian
Piet Mondrian
Pieter Cornelis "Piet" Mondriaan, after 1906 Mondrian , was a Dutch painter.He was an important contributor to the De Stijl art movement and group, which was founded by Theo van Doesburg. He evolved a non-representational form which he termed Neo-Plasticism...
. The museum is also internationally renowned for having one of the largest collections of works by El Lissitzky
El Lissitzky
, better known as El Lissitzky , was a Russian artist, designer, photographer, typographer, polemicist and architect. He was an important figure of the Russian avant garde, helping develop suprematism with his mentor, Kazimir Malevich, and designing numerous exhibition displays and propaganda works...
.
The museum also houses the collection of posters made by the Situationist Jacqueline de Jong
Jacqueline de Jong
Jacqueline de Jong was born in the Dutch town of Hengelo to Jewish parents. Faced with the German invasion, they went into hiding. After an abortive escape attempt to England, her father Hans remained in Amsterdam while she and her mother made for Switzerland...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
during May 1968.
The collection developed most under the diretorships of Edy de Wilde and Rudi Fuchs. While De Wilde bought the classical modernist works by Picasso etc, Fuchs bought his own generation in particular conceptual work from the USA and German painting. The new Director, Charles Esche
Charles Esche
Charles Esche is a curator and writer. Since 2004, he has been Director of the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands. He is co-founder and co-editor of Afterall Journal and Afterall Books with Mark Lewis. Afterall is a contemporary art publication which was first launched in 1998 and is based at...
has pursued a more geographically diverse collecting policy concentrating on work from central and eastern Europe including Solakov, Stilinovic, Sasnal, Zmijewski as well as video works by Yael Bartana.
External links
- Van Abbemuseum website (in Dutch and English)