Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum to Close for Renovations

Starting in the fall of 2012, travelers to Amsterdam will have to make do with fewer artistic masterpieces, as the Van Gogh Museum closes for a six-month refurbishment.

Two of the city’s other major museums, the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum, are already partly closed for renovations. Like them, the Van Gogh Museum will be displaying some of its best-known pieces elsewhere: starting in October 2012, 75 paintings and a selection of works on paper will be shown at the nearby Hermitage Amsterdam.

The Rijksmuseum has been undergoing renovations since 2003 and is unlikely to reopen entirely until 2013. A small selection of its most famous works, including Rembrandt’s “Night Watch,” are on display in its Philips Wing; others are on special display at the Schiphol Airport.

The Stedelijk, Amsterdam’s premier contemporary art museum, has been closed since 2005; it also has a temporary space.

An estimated 1.5 million people visit the Van Gogh Museum annually. The museum features the largest collection in the world of pieces by the artist, including eight self-portraits — but not “Starry Night,” which is at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.