The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam — which houses the world’s largest collection of the artist’s works, including one of his masterpieces “Sunflowers” — said it has reached a funding agreement with the Dutch Ministry of Culture that averts its threatened closure and “secures the future” of the institution.
The museum, one of Europe’s most popular art institutions, had long campaigned for additional government funding for what it said were essential renovations to help preserve its more than 200 paintings and nearly 500 drawings by Vincent van Gogh.
After a three-year feud that included often bitter negotiations and a legal complaint, the museum said in a statement last week that its future had been “secured.”
The terms of the agreement remain unclear. The Van Gogh Museum and the Dutch culture ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The museum had been seeking an increase of 2.5 million euros (about $2.8 million) in its annual government subsidy of about €8.5 million to finance the building renovations, including repairs to its elevators and climate control system.
Emilie Gordenker, the museum’s general director, said in a statement that the settlement with the ministry was “in the spirit of the agreement between the Dutch State and the founder of the museum V. W. van Gogh.” She previously told The New York Times that it would be “dangerous” for the art and for visitors if repairs were not made.
The government initially maintained that the museum should cover the extra costs.
After Vincent Willem van Gogh, the painter’s nephew and heir, inherited the family collection of his uncle’s works, he created a foundation in the 1960s that struck a deal with the Dutch government to build a dedicated museum to permanently house the collection.
In the recent dispute, the museum filed a legal complaint, arguing that the government was in breach of a 1962 agreement with the Vincent van Gogh Foundation to preserve the artworks.
The museum is one of Europe’s most visited art museums, drawing more than 1.8 million visitors a year. It houses many of van Gogh’s signature works, including “The Potato Eaters” and “Almond Blossom.”
Renovations were expected to begin in the fall of 2028, the museum said. It will remain partially open, and visitors will be able to see the permanent collection while the work is carried out, the museum said.
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