AMSTERDAM.- From today, and for the first time, the complete correspondence between Dutch collector Andries Bonger (1861–1936) and French artist Odilon Redon (1840–1916) is accessible. Between 1894 and 1908, Andries Bonger (friend of the van Gogh brothers and brother of Jo, wife of Theo van Gogh) assembled an impressive collection of artworks by Redon, most of which are housed at the Van Gogh Museum. Not only did Bonger and Redon build the collection together, they also had a lifelong close friendship based on mutual trust and respect. With the publication of this extensive correspondence consisting of 317 letters, Bonger, an important figure in the story of the Van Gogh Museum’s collection, has finally been given a voice. The temporary exhibition Andries Bonger and Odilon Redon. Kindred Spirits explores the special relationship between Bonger and Redon, and displays Bonger’s finest Redons.

Friend and Admirer

Andries Bonger met Odilon Redon through painter Émile Bernard and art dealer Theo van Gogh. Bonger was immediately captivated by Redon’s oeuvre: he regarded the French artist’s mysterious work as the pinnacle of contemporary art. He soon became an enthusiastic collector of Redon’s work, building what would become one of the most complete collections of Redon’s work in the world. In doing so, Bonger was far ahead of his Dutch contemporaries.

Looking over my collection as a whole, I’m astonished by the variety of your art. Moreover, it offers the rare spectacle of a new blossoming, at a time when so many others have stiffened to a uniform note. I never leave the house in the morning without looking at them; in the evening, they offer me precious companionship; by now, I can no longer manage without it for very long. – Bonger to Redon (1903)

Bonger was not only a great collector of Redon’s work, but also became the artist’s most important confidant. The two shared a passion for music, literature and the visual arts, corresponded frequently and visited each other regularly. Until now, the hundreds of long letters that Bonger wrote to Redon were unavailable, but the publication of the French book Sans adieu (Without Farewell) has changed all this. The book, which includes the correspondence and is published by Cohen & Cohen Éditeurs, has finally given Bonger (brother of Jo Bonger, Theo van Gogh’s wife) a voice. Furthermore, as of today, a video series of the correspondence is available. In this series, award-winning International Theatre Amsterdam actors Hans Kesting (b. 1960) and Hugo Koolschijn (b. 1946) read some of the most beautiful extracts of the extensive correspondence between artist and collector.

Bonger’s Redons Finally on Display at the Van Gogh Museum




Andries Bonger’s aim was to collect a complete overview of what he considered to be the infinitely rich oeuvre of Odilon Redon. Thanks to the efforts of the collector, the Van Gogh Museum houses one of the most extensive collections of the symbolist master’s work. The collection comprises work made with different materials, including prints in black lithographic ink, drawings in powdery charcoal or the pure pigments of pastels and beautiful, colourful decorative panels. Bonger proudly displayed the works on the walls of his apartment. When he arrived at his flat on Stadhouderskade in Amsterdam, he found himself face to face with works like The Red Tree and Buddha. In his letters to Redon, Bonger describes how much it meant to him to have this constant personal contact with the artist’s work.

Your Buddha gives me endlessly renewed surprises. If, on Christmas Night, you had seen all my rooms with discreet corner-lighting and candles in the chandelier, you would have been thrilled, I think. How happy I feel there, of an evening. – Bonger to Redon (1905)

Redon and Bonger also had a great deal of contact concerning the way in which the works of art could be displayed to their best advantage. Redon chose the frames and passepartouts for his works with great care and in close consultation with Bonger. All of the original frames and passepartouts have been preserved and will, like much of Bonger’s collection, be on display in the temporary exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum.

Above all, tell me about the frames for which I took responsibility and about the effect of the works. How they change when one moves them! How sensitive they seem to me, and affected by the things that surround them. Sometimes that has me worrying about their constitution. But I know how much your yellow wallpaper improves and suits them. – Redon to Bonger (1905)

Exhibition and Publications

Andries Bonger and Odilon Redon. Kindred Spirits is on at the Van Gogh Museum until 3 July 2022. The publication Sans adieu, which contains the complete correspondence between Bonger and Redon, is available in French. It is edited and annotated by Dario Gamboni and Merel van Tilburg with the cooperation of Fred Leeman, Pierre Pinchon, Fleur Roos Rosa de Carvalho and Julien Zanetta.

From today, the Bonger collection is accessible via the Van Gogh Museum website. Information from the catalogue, which lists the 36 Redons in the Van Gogh Museum’s collection and describes the relationship between artist and collector, written by curator Fleur Roos Rosa de Carvalho, will soon be fully available online. With these presentations and publication, the complete story of one of the most important sub-collections of the museum has been unlocked.