We are immensely grateful for the unfailing support of the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, which gave not only the works and letters of Van Gogh on permanent loan to the Van Gogh Museum but also the works by contemporaries that Theo and Vincent collected. The researchers’ unrestricted access to the physical objects led to many insights. In addition, our thanks go to Hendrik Jan Blom and Georgea Costa Netto, who generously backed this research with a named fund during the project’s essential start-up phase. Elise Wessels-van Houdt was also extremely supportive, providing a named fund when it was decided to broaden the scope of the research, initially focused on paintings, to include works on paper. Furthermore, we are grateful for the generous support of our main partners, VriendenLoterij, ASML and DHL.

We are indebted to our many colleagues in the Van Gogh Museum for sharing their expertise and knowledge in various fields. Senior Manager Collections Marije Vellekoop took the initiative to develop this online collection catalogue. She also chaired the project’s steering committee, which further consisted of Michiel Goosen, Head of Collection Information, and Suzanne Bogman, Head of Publications (succeeded in 2022 by Anniek Meinders). They managed the production of the online catalogue, supported in this by Martijn Pronk, Head of Digital Communications, who served as project leader. Maite van Dijk oversaw the research until she left the museum in 2021. Marije van der Pas ensured that the project was proposed to the aforementioned generous donors in the early stages. Researchers Teio Meedendorp, Louis van Tilborgh, Hans Luijten and Bregje Gerritse proved indispensable with respect to specific Van Gogh-related issues.

Paintings conservators René Boitelle and Oda van Maanen and paper conservator Nico Lingbeek were unstinting with their time and advice, studying the works in the collection several times with the authors and sharing their expert observations. Moreover, they carefully checked technical passages in the entries. Editing of the catalogue was coordinated and carried out by Monique den Ouden, Esther Roth, Merel Dijkhuizen and Suzanne Krom. Merel Dijkhuizen was also responsible for image editing. The painstaking translations from Dutch to English are by Diane Webb, Gerard Forde, Katy Kist and Jennifer Kilian. The texts were copy-edited by Sophie Kullmann. Edith Schreurs ensured the creation of this beautiful and easy-to-use website. The construction of the digital catalogue was handled by Q42 and the design by Dept. The catalogue includes not only texts but also data and high-quality images from our collection databases. These were provided by our expert colleagues from the Collection Information Department: Anita Vriend, Marjolein Stege, Ceri-Anne van de Geer, Courtney Lynch, Marianne Nouwen van Hees, Anita Homan and Niels van Neck. The beautiful photographs of the objects in the catalogue were taken by Heleen van Driel and colour-corrected by Maurice Tromp. Provenance research, with which the project began in 2015, was subsequently taken to the next level by provenance researchers Sophia Thomassen and Julia Krikke. In listing provenances, they were assisted by Monique Hageman. Finally, this project would not have been possible without the diligent efforts of the following research assistants and interns, whose findings and literature lists proved invaluable: Nina Reid, Maaike Rikhof, Rachelle van den Broek, Lars van Iwaarden, Julia Krikke, Naomi Bisping and Celine Rusman.

Joost van der Hoeven

And on behalf of the co-authors:
Franka Blok
Nina Reid
Fleur Roos Rosa de Carvalho
Lisa Smit
Renske Suijver
Sara Tas