Things are heating up at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) as it prepares for the opening of Van Gogh and the Seasons, the latest exhibition in the Victorian Government’s Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series.
Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley was at NGV today to preview the Australian-exclusive exhibition which explores the works of one of the world’s most lauded art figures, Vincent Van Gogh, and his fascination with the changing seasons.
Van Gogh paintings and drawings, along with personal letters and artworks collected by the artist, have travelled to the NGV from all corners of the globe to be part of the exhibition which runs until 9 July.
Alongside the exhibition, the NGV will host the popular Friday Night concert series and an extensive public program of talks, forums and family activities. This includes the free exhibition Fiona Hall: Uneasy Seasons, with specially designed spaces for children and teenagers.
Van Gogh and the Seasons is the 22nd exhibition in the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, which was established by the Victorian Government in 2004 to bring the world’s best art to Melbourne.
Since then, more than 5.2 million local, interstate and international visitors have attended an exhibition in the series, generating $440 million for the Victorian economy.
The exhibition continues a busy and successful run for the NGV which last month was named the 19th most visited gallery in the world. Five years ago, NGV hosted 28 exhibitions per year and in 2016 this number had risen to 49.
This growth has seen visitation rapidly increase year on year from just over two million visitors in 2014, 2.4 million in 2015 and a high of 2.6 million last year. To help build on the success, the NGV will receive a $28.7 million funding boost over the next two years as part of the Victorian Budget 2017/18.
Van Gogh and the Seasons opens at NGV International on 28 April and will be open daily until 9 July. Tickets are now on sale. For more information, visit
Quotes attributable to Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley
“Vincent Van Gogh was one of the greats of the art world and this exhibition is set to be another drawcard for the NGV, which is not only Australia's most popular gallery but one of the top 20 most visited across the globe.”
“The Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series has built a reputation for bringing must-see exhibitions to Victoria and for turning winter into one of the hottest months on the arts, tourism and major events calendar.”
“Van Gogh and the Seasons offers something for all tastes and all ages and will demonstrate once again that, no matter the season, our NGV is a gallery for everyone.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020