The antiquity-loving collections of Frits Lugt and Helene Kröller-Müller (working title)

28 April - 19 September 2010

Helene Kroller Muller

Frits Lugt and his wife Jacoba Klever

At the start of the twentieth century, two Dutch people were busy amassing an impressive private collection of art: art connoisseur and dealer Frits Lugt and Helene Kröller-Müller, wife of businessman Anton Kröller. Both collected drawings, paintings, engravings, etc. by national and international painters and artists in particular. Their interest in art not only focused on the old masters and the great painters of their day. They also collected objects from antiquity, such as Egyptian sculptures and Greek vases. 

Roman glass and Egyptian sculptures

The exhibition shows the best objects from these unknown 'antiquity-loving' partial collections of Kröller-Müller and Lugt. Helene Kröller-Müller bought Greek vases and Egyptian sculptures and amulets. These archaeological objects have not been on display to the public for years now. Frits Lugt's collection includes amazing Greek vases, Roman glass and Egyptian objects from the New Empire (circa  1550 - 1070 B.C.).

Special collections

Only the archaeological objects are on display in the exhibition "The Connoisseur's Eye". But the collections of Frits Lugt and Helene Kröller-Müller were very extensive and diverse. During her life, Kröller-Müller purchased approximately 11,500 art objects. In addition to renowned works of art by the likes of Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger and Piet Mondrian, she owned one of the world's largest Van Gogh collections. Lugt's collection encompasses extraordinary collections, including nearly the complete oeuvre of Rembrandt drawings and rare engravings by Lucas van Leyden.