Ueno Royal Museum
It has been decided that the traveling exhibition “The Great Van Gogh Exhibition” (sponsored by Sankei Shimbun and others), which brings together masterpieces by the painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-90), will be held at the Ueno Royal Museum in Taito Ward, Tokyo. Masterpieces from the Kröller-Muller Museum in the Netherlands, which boasts one of the world’s leading collections of Van Gogh’s works, will be exhibited in two parts.
【Official website】 https://grand-van-gogh.com/
This exhibition will travel in two parts, starting in Kobe and then Fukushima and Tokyo. It was planned as a project to mark the 30th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in Kobe and the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake in Fukushima.
The highlight of the first period is “Café Terrace at Night,” which will be shown in Japan for the first time in about 20 years. In addition, about 60 works by Van Gogh, including “Self-Portrait,” from his early Dutch period to his time in Arles, when he produced many masterpieces, will be on display, as well as masterpieces by contemporary Impressionist masters such as Claude Monet and Auguste Renoir from the museum’s collection.
The highlight of the second phase, showcasing his career from his time in Arles to his later years, is The Drawbridge at Arles, known as a Dutch treasure, which will tour to Tokyo in 2027.
“Café terrace at night”
This masterpiece depicts a cafe terrace in a square in the southern French city of Arles. The vivid contrast between the evening darkness and the cafe lights is stunning, with flat colors and dynamic brushstrokes.
The Drawbridge at Arles
Along with “Café Terrace at Night,” this is one of Vincent Van Gogh’s greatest masterpieces. It is considered a national treasure of the Netherlands and is rarely loaned outside the country, so this is the first time it has been shown in Japan in about 70 years. The impressive blue of the sky and water demonstrates Vincent Van Gogh’s skilled technique.
■Kröller-Muller Museum This museum is located in De Hoge Veluwe National Park in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. It houses and exhibits one of the world’s greatest collections of Van Gogh’s works, including approximately 90 oil paintings and 180 drawings.
■ “The Great Van Gogh Exhibition” Tokyo Venue Overview Venue: Ueno Royal Museum (1-2 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo)
Period: 1st period/May 29, 2026 (Friday) to August 12, 2026 (Wednesday)
Second period: October 2027 to January 2028 (to be announced after the period is finalized)
Organized by: Sankei Shimbun, TBS, TBS Gloudia, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, The Ueno Royal Museum
Tour Information 1st Period Kobe Venue: Kobe City Museum September 20, 2025 (Sat) – February 1, 2026 (Sun)
Fukushima Venue: Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art February 21st (Sat) – May 10th (Sun), 2026
Second Kobe venue: Kobe City Museum February to May 2027 (to be announced once the event is confirmed)
Fukushima Venue: Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art June 19th (Sat) – September 26th (Sun) 2027
[Sankei Shimbun] Press release
Article provided by: Kokosil Ueno
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