The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam warned Wednesday that it faced closure without more state funding, saying a 104-million-euro ($120 million) renovation was vital to protect its masterpieces.
The museum — which holds the world’s biggest collection of the artist’s work — said the project could not go ahead unless the Dutch state honoured a 1962 agreement with Vincent van Gogh’s nephew by providing the necessary funds.
“The museum faces closure,” it added “because it will not be able to guarantee the safety of the collection, visitors, and staff.”
The Dutch ministry of culture rejected the warning, saying the museum already received a subsidy under the Dutch Heritage Act that was sufficient to cover maintenance.
It said its position was based on “comprehensive research” by independent experts.
But the museum has launched legal proceedings over the subsidy, with a court hearing scheduled for February 2026.
The museum houses more than 200 of the tortured Dutch artist’s paintings, 500 of his drawings and almost all of his letters.
They were given by the artist’s nephew Vincent Willem van Gogh in 1962 under a state-backed deal to build and maintain a museum.
“Managing, preserving, and exhibiting the collection was considered more important for the Netherlands at the time than financial consequences,” the museum said.
The building, which opened in 1973, was no longer fit for purpose, it argued, after more than 50 years of heavy use.
A major overhaul called “Masterplan 2028” has been budgeted at 104 million, with the museum saying it would use its own resources to co-finance the works and cover an estimated 50 million euros in lost revenue during partial closures.
It said that an annual state subsidy of 11 million euros was needed, compared to the current one of 8.5 million.
Vincent van Gogh, who died in 1890 aged 37, produced more than 800 paintings and is regarded as one of the most influential figures in western art.
His works, including “Sunflowers” and “The Starry Night”, are among the most loved paintings in the world.
The Van Gogh Museum is one of the Netherlands’ most popular cultural institutions.
It drew a record 2.6 million visitors in 2017 and had welcomed almost 57 million since its opening.
It generates 85 percent of its income from visitors and private partnerships, a higher share than most national museums.
Credit: New York Times
