The Van Gogh Museum is one of Amsterdam's must-see attractions. Here houses the biggest collection by Vincent Van Gogh under one roof. For the small admission price, visitor's can take in works from Holland's most famous artist as well as some other famous impressionist painters.
Aside from being the largest collection by the artist, the Van Gogh Museum also captures the widest span of the artists career. The earlier pieces do not even look like the Van Gogh the world knows and loves, but rather like Renaissance art mixed with the beginning of impressionism. It is fascinating to view the range of the artists work all at once because it shows a real evolution into the style that made him so famous. His lifetime of work is fully captured here and can be appreciated for both it's expanse and creative genius.
Among the famous Van Gogh paintings housed here is the often-reproduced "Sunflowers" and several of his self-portraits. Seeing these up close is amazing- the level of detail captured in each brush stroke is absolutely incredible. The bright colors and beautiful brushwork will give artistic inspiration to even the most untalented of visitors.
The Van Gogh Museum is great for adults, but also has special features for younger visitors. Highly recommended is the recorded tour meant for children to give them their first introduction to this famous artist. They also have workshops that allow children to interact with Van Gogh's art in a hands-on fashion (think Van Gogh coloring books and tempera paints). These activities definitely keep the little ones entertained.
Aside from Van Gogh, other famous impressionist artists are also exhibited here. Some to note are Toulouse-Lautrec and Gauguin. They also have a large exhibition space with a ever-changing borrowed collection. The museum itself has excellent presentations of its pieces and interesting architecture that keep visitors constantly engaged with the environment.
On Friday evenings, the museum remains open until 10pm for late visitors. This is an excellent time to check out this attraction- there tends to be less people there at this time than on the weekends. The museum staff also puts on a nice presentation with live music and hors d'oeuvres on these evenings.
During special weeks (I was there in November when this happened) the museum is open late and is accessible when you buy a discounted pass to all the other area museums and attractions. This was a lucky bargain that our travel party stumbled upon, but you might want to look into a deal like this if you plan on visiting Amsterdam.