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In 1903, with the support of 26 art lovers, Museum Boymans acquired The Avenue of Poplars near Nuenen, the first painting by Vincent van Gogh in a public Dutch collection. It was actually three paintings. What had begun as a church scene at night, the artist had overpainted with a melancholic, and ultimately even sunny, autumn landscape, a precursor to his colorful cityscapes in Paris. Today, it is one of the collection's favorites, but also a fragile painting. In recent years, it has therefore been extensively researched and restored. This Boijmans Study reads like a biography of this multi-layered artwork and offers a glimpse into the restoration process. The research examined earlier treatments, later brushstrokes, unexpected drip marks, and problems with paint adhesion. Yellowed varnish layers and old retouches were removed, ultimately bringing the painting closer to the "symphony in yellow" that Van Gogh envisioned in October 1885. Available in Dutch and English.
