Dreams of Nature. Symbolism from Van Gogh to Kandinsky

Dedicated to the Symbolism movement, the Van Gogh Museum's new exhibition features some 70 poetic and evocative paintings of nature. With works from the period between 1880 and 1910, Dreams of Nature aims to offer a fresh perspective on the intriguing Symbolist artists and their work.

Dreams and visions

Symbolism was a pioneering painting movement that evolved in the late 19th century. A reaction to increasing industrialisation and the growing European capitalist landscape, symbolist works reflect feelings of fear and pessimism alongside a longing for spirituality and mythology. Symbolist artists aimed to evoke dreams and visions, rather than record visible reality.

Wide range of artists

The exhibition covers a wide range of artists, from forerunners of symbolism such as Böcklin and Whistler to Mondrian and Kandinsky - artists who provided the impulse for later, major 20th-century movements such as surrealism and abstract art. Works by renowned painters such as Monet, Gauguin, Van Gogh and Munch are presented alongside lesser-known artists from the Nordic countries and Eastern Europe.

Sound and vision

The roots of Symbolism lie in philosophy and poetry. It was also closely associated with music: for instance, Kandinsky drew inspiration by the music of Schönberg, and Rachmaninoff wrote music to accompany Böcklin's Island of the Dead. Visitors to this exhibition can experience the mutual influence between these art forms by listening to compositions from the Symbolist period.