Rijksmuseum Twenthe

A rich and broad collection

The museum was founded in 1930 by Jan Bernard Van Heek, a textile industry baron. He donated his own private collection of paintings from the Middle Ages to the 19th century to the government, which formed the basis of the museum’s collection. Throughout time, the collection expanded to include 18th century art as well as contemporary works.

Rijksmuseum Twenthe showcases a large collection of 17th century paintings by Jacob van Ruisdael and Salomon van Ruysdael, medieval books and religious objects, paintings of late 19th century Impressionists, and works of important 20th century Dutch artists such as Karel Appel and Armando.

Highlights of the collection

A must-see painting  is Jan Steen’s ‘Woman with Lute’, a Golden Age gem depicting a scene of everyday life from the 17th century. We see a man sitting by a table, staring at a woman playing a lute. They say that in 17th century painting, music is often represented as a cure for heartbreak. Fast-forward to the 19th century and marvel at ‘Falaises près de Pourville’, Claude Monet’s light and airy Impressionistic painting, where  you can see his attempts to chase light and shadows on the rocky beach. And finally, travel to the modern age with Bart van der Leck’s ‘Portrait of an Artist’s Daughter’, where you can see the characteristic primary colours of the famed De Stijl group.