The Kröller-Müller Museum currently presents a rare opportunity to see its entire collection of Vincent van Gogh paintings together, an occurrence that has not taken place in many years, according to museum director Benno Tempel. The exhibition is organized into three thematic sections—faith, hope, and love—reflecting the spiritual lens through which Helene Kröller-Müller viewed van Gogh’s work. Featured pieces include some of van Gogh’s most recognizable paintings such as “Cafe Terrace at Night,” “Portrait of Joseph Roulin,” and “The Sower.”

Helene Kröller-Müller, daughter of a German industrialist, developed an early fascination with art despite ending her formal education at 16. At 18, she married Anton Kröller, an employee who later assumed control of her family’s business. Her husband supported her intellectual and artistic pursuits, which was somewhat uncommon for the period, as married women typically transferred financial control to their husbands. Renske Cohen Tervaert, the exhibition curator, noted that Anton’s encouragement allowed Helene to pursue her passion in art collecting beyond a mere social pastime.

Unlike many collectors of her time, Kröller-Müller approached collecting with deep dedication and what her biographer Eva Rovers describes as a “religious fervor.” She acquired her first van Gogh painting in 1908 for 110 guilders, equivalent to the cost of an elegant dress at the time. Soon after, she purchased “Four Sunflowers Gone to Seed” for 4,000 guilders, with prices rising partly due to her active acquisitions. Her collecting philosophy was heavily influenced by the art historian Henk Bremmer, whose teaching emphasized that meaningful art should evoke emotional or spiritual experiences.

During the early 20th century, van Gogh was not widely appreciated; many viewed him as a troubled figure whose talent was questioned. Kröller-Müller, however, connected with van Gogh’s background as a former preacher and saw his art as an expression of faith and a means to transcend suffering. Rovers explained that Kröller-Müller understood van Gogh’s intent to use art as a spiritual conduit and that this understanding shaped her passion for his work.

While other Dutch collectors focused on old masters or 19th-century Dutch painters, Kröller-Müller embraced modern movements such as Cubism, Pointillism, and De Stijl. Her collection includes works by Piet Mondrian, Fernand Léger, and Pablo Picasso, with van Gogh’s oeuvre forming the centerpiece due to his role as a precursor of avant-garde art. The collection spans a broad spectrum of van Gogh’s subjects, including landscapes, portraits, and cityscapes.

In the late 1930s, facing declining health and diminished family wealth, Kröller-Müller offered her extensive art collection, valued at about 4 million guilders, along with family land in the Veluwe forest, to the Dutch state. The offer was contingent on the construction of a museum to house the works. She envisioned the museum, featuring a 62-acre sculpture garden, as a sanctuary for spiritual reflection and philosophical engagement. The resulting Kröller-Müller Museum, located in a remote forest now designated as a national park, showcases this unique collection.

In contrast, Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, housing more than 200 of the artist’s paintings, stems from the van Gogh family’s own holdings of unsold works. According to Tempel, the Kröller-Müller Museum represents a deliberate, curated collection driven by a collector’s personal vision, distinguishing it from the more archival nature of the Van Gogh Museum.