So the VGM. I guess if you didn’t know what the museum was all about then you are going to be in for one heck of a disappointment. There are very few of the Van Gogh big hitters in the museum – instead what there is a wonderful art history lesson not only about Van Gogh but also the wider context in which he worked and ultimately died. Floor by floor we see the way that Van Gogh approached his work until the crazy climax of his life. However for me it was the little things – the simple sketches and drawings that seemed to have the real power to start to get a feeling for such a strange and driven artist.

Distributed throughout the museum are examples of Van Gogh’s letters. Some where simple letters, others were impassioned commentaries on the small diagram or drawing of something he was about to or had just painted. Clearly if Van Gogh had been alive to day he would have had one of the most read blogs out there. But we live in different times and so to compare the two is somewhat pointless. We just have to be thankful that he wrote so many letters and that they survived to enable a much more rounded understanding of the artist to be developed.

So the VGM is great if you want to better understand the artist. However, if just want to see his greatest paintings then you need to visit other institutions such as the Courtauld gallery or the National Gallery in London.

However, if there is one black mark against the VGM it is that their catering staff are not a patch on the staff at the Rijks Museum. Whereas the Rijks Museum were only too willing to help the VGM staff were almost service station staff helpful – especially when asking about gluten free food. “No gluten free”. Was about the only helpful repost you would get. Now I know that English is a second language in Holland, well sort of but not really, it clearly was to the catering staff at the VGM. So if you have an allergy issue then beware.

As for the rest of the day we spent exploring central Amsterdam and a fascinating place it. This evening even the rain couldn’t stop our exploration and the city appears to take on a whole new character in the damp darkness.

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