The masterworks of one of the world’s most famous and influential figures will go on show at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) next year in the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition Van Gogh and the Seasons.
Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley was at the NGV today to announce the world premiere exhibition which will explore Vincent van Gogh’s career and his fascination with the four seasons.
Drawn from the collections of leading international institutions, including Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, the exhibition will bring more than 60 of van Gogh’s iconic works to Melbourne, many which are travelling to Australia for the first time.
Alongside van Gogh masterpieces, the exhibition will also give insight into van Gogh’s own influences by displaying letters by the artist and artworks he collected during his short lifetime. These will further explore how artists of different cultures and eras have depicted the seasons over time.
Van Gogh and the Seasons will be the 22nd exhibition in the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, established by the former Labor Government in 2004 to bring the world’s best art to Melbourne each year.
The series has since attracted over five million people, been a tourism drawcard for thousands of interstate and international visitors and injected hundreds of millions of dollars into the state economy.
Van Gogh and the Seasons will headline the NGV’s 2017 Autumn/Winter program.
The program will also include contemporary art exhibitions by Australian and international artists and the Gallery’s first ever Festival of Photography, featuring exhibitions by lauded US photographer William Eggelston and Melbourne artist Zoë Croggon.
Van Gogh and the Seasons will be on show at NGV International from 28 April to 9 July 2017. For more information, visit: ngv.vic.gov.au
Quotes attributable to Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley
“Van Gogh is undoubtedly one of the most recognisable and famous names in art history. His incredible work laid the foundation for modern art and influences artists to this day.”
“This exclusive exhibition will be drawn from collections across the globe. There are only around 800 van Gogh paintings that exist in the world, so to have more than 60 works travel to Victoria is extraordinary.”
“It’s a huge coup for the NGV and another reason why Victoria is the creative state.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020