A RARE VIEW OF MEIJER DE HAAN’S FRENCH PERIOD AT THE VAN GOGH MUSEUM

words by FRANCESCO PIZZUTI

The Van Gogh Museum’s is welcoming an important addition. The museum has, in fact, acquired Meijer de Haan’s The Valley of Kerzellec, Le Pouldu (1890), adding a significant work to its collection and creating a rare opportunity to view the artist’s development in greater depth. Presented from 28 May alongside other paintings by De Haan, as well as works by artists active in Brittany, the painting helps situate his practice within the wider artistic context of late nineteenth-century modern art.

all images courtesy of VAN GOGH MUSEUM

Painted during De Haan’s short but productive French period, The Valley of Kerzellec, Le Pouldu reflects the experiments with colour, form and landscape that took place among artists working around Paul Gauguin in Brittany. The work is significant because it shows De Haan developing his own visual language within that environment.

The acquisition also strengthens the Van Gogh Museum’s ability to present De Haan’s work in relation to Vincent and Theo van Gogh. De Haan moved from Amsterdam to Paris in 1888 and later stayed with Theo, who introduced him to the modern art world in the city. Through Theo, De Haan also came into contact with Vincent, whose letters show an interest in meeting and collaborating with him.

By adding a landscape to a collection in which De Haan was previously represented mainly by portraits and still lifes, the museum broadens the view of his artistic range. The presentation therefore offers visitors a fuller understanding of his place within the artistic exchanges of the period.

Rather than treating the painting as an isolated acquisition, the Van Gogh Museum uses it to open a wider conversation about influence, experimentation and artistic networks. In doing so, it highlights De Haan’s contribution to a moment of significant change in European art history.