The Power of Pigments

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In the 19th century, drawing in colour became a significant art form, owing in part to the availability of new synthetic pigments. Artists – from realists to pointillists and from Impressionists to symbolists – started using materials such as pastel and watercolour to express themselves on paper.

Colourful drawings

The Power of Pigments offers a refreshing perspective of colourful drawings by 19th-century artists. The presentation includes a selection of highlights from the museum’s collection, works that are rarely put on public display due to their fragility. Several of the works have never been exhibited before.

Collection in Focus

For decades and counting, the Van Gogh Museum has collected pastels and watercolours by those who inspired Vincent van Gogh, by his contemporaries, and by those whom he inspired. In addition to drawings by Van Gogh, this presentation also features work by artists including Jean-François Millet, Camille Pissarro, Paul Gauguin, Odilon Redon, Henry Somm, Louis Anquetin and Armand Guillaumin.