Sights and Attractions

The Museum's collection evolved around the art collection of the lawyer Boijmans who bequested it to the city of Rotterdam. Industrialist Van Beuningen was very important in its development and financed many purchases. He was also a financial driving force behind the construction of the present building. The new building was necessary as the collection had outgrown its location in the Schielandshuis (now historic museum). It was designed by city architect Van der Steur and finished in 1935. The collection is wide ranging and covers a period starting in hte middle ages through present day. The museum is focussed on four areas: old masters, prints and drawings, decorative art and modern art. Besides a permanent exhibition the museum has many changing exhibitions in the field of modern art. 

In the field of Old Masters the emphasis is on master from the both the Northern and Southern Low Countries from the 15th and 16th centuries and on Dutch 17th century masters like Van Eyck, Rubens and Rembrandt. Top piece is  Brueghel's (Pieter the Elder) tower of Babylon from 1563 . The three Mary's at the grave by Van Eyk from 1435 is the only Van Eyk in the Netherlands. The museum owns a couple of oil paintings made by Rubens in 1636/37 as a design for the decorations for Spanish king Philip IV's hunting castle  Torre de la Parada. The Nereïde riding on a  triton is one of them.

Besides a large collection of graphics, prints cabinet holds one of worlds most important collections of drawings. Numerous schools are represented. The collection contains masters like  Pisanello, Dürer, Rembrandt, Watteau, and Cézanne.

The collection of Decorative Art and Design has implements from the middle ages till present. Important are its collections of majolica, tin, silver, glass, pre-industrial utensils and modern design. Museum also focusses on Industrial Design.

Above all the museum is one of the most important in the field of modern art from 1850 up to the present time. The collection contains among others famous works by surrealists Margritte and Dalí. Also some modern classics by e.g. Monet and Kandinsky. Recent German and American art and modern sculpture are also of some importance. By Monet the the museum has The poppy field (1881) and The fisherman's hut at Varengeville (1882). By Kandinsky the museum has thirteen works in all, starting with a fairy tale like representation form 1904 and ending with a painting from 1935 characteristic for the periods organic and abstract idiom. Highlight of the collection is Lyrisches from 1911.

open: The museum is closed until further notice for renovations. The spectacular depot building will open in the 2nd half 2021. Meanwhile part of the collection is on display in other museums and venues. See website.

Address
Museumpark 18-20
3015 CX Rotterdam
phone 010 - 44 19 400
fax 010 - 43 60 500
Website: : www.boijmans.rotterdam.nl 
e-mail : info@boijmans.rotterdam.nl

Getting there :
the museum is a fifteen minute walk from the Central Railway Station;
Public Transport: from the Central Station tram #5, ap Witte de Withstraat;
Bus #32 & #39, ap Rochussenstraat;
Metro (subway) station Eendrachtsplein
Parking Museumpark