Van Abbemuseum

The Van Abbemuseum is a museum of modern art in the Dutch city of Eindhoven. The museum includes works of Jan Sluijters, Carel Willink and Isaac Israels. It also houses one of the world's largest collections of works of Russian painter and graphic artist El Lissitzky. Overall, the collection currently counts 1000 sculptures, 700 photos and 1000 drawings.

History

The foundation of the collection put the cigar manufacturer Henri van Abbe Eindhoven in 1909. In 1934, Van Abbe donated his private collection to the city of Eindhoven on the condition that the images would be displayed in a museum. Thus arose in 1936 on the east bank of the Dommel designed by the architect Alexander Kropholler the current museum. Kropholler created an empty brick building in the traditionalist style.

As the dimensions of the building, the requirements were no longer adequate, summed to the mid-1990s the decision to an extension. Behind the Kropholler construction was a new wing arise in the forms of deconstructivist architect Abel Cahen of Amsterdam. The interior of the museum and the library were designed by the Flemish designer Maarten Van Severen. The cultivation was inaugurated on 17 May 2003 by the Dutch Queen Beatrix.

Directors

• W.J.A. Visser ( 1936-1942.1945 )
• Edy de Wilde (1946-1963)
• Jean Leering (1964-1973)
• Rudi Fuchs (1975-1987)
• January Debbaut (1988-2003)
• Charles Esche (since 2004)