Where Can You See Van Gogh’s Paintings?

Vincent van Gogh painted more than 800 canvases in barely a decade, and today they're scattered across the world's great museums. If you want to stand in front of the real thing, here's where the masterpieces actually live — and why you don't have to cross an ocean to find one.

Where is the biggest Van Gogh collection?

The largest collection of Van Gogh's work is at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which holds more than 200 paintings along with drawings and letters. The galleries are arranged so you walk through his whole short, blazing career in order — early dark Dutch canvases, the explosion of color in France, and the final restless months. It's the single best place on earth to understand the man behind the ear story, and our Amsterdam art guide maps out the rest of the city while you're there.

Which famous Van Goghs are in the U.S.?

Several of his most beloved paintings never leave the United States. If you're closer to Chicago or New York than to the Netherlands, you can still see world-class Van Goghs: - The Bedroom at the Art Institute of Chicago — the version above, and one of the museum's can't-miss works. - The Starry Night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York — his swirling night sky, painted from memory in an asylum at Saint-Rémy, and probably the most famous painting of the modern era. - Cypresses, irises, and self-portraits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art — a deep, rewarding group just a subway ride from MoMA.

A New York day can take in both MoMA and the Met; a Chicago trip gives you The Bedroom and a superb Impressionist wing in one building. For the fuller story of the artist himself, see who Vincent van Gogh was.

Can you see them online?

Yes — many of Van Gogh's paintings are free to explore online, including works from the Art Institute of Chicago and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, both of which open-access much of their collection. That won't replace standing in front of the real brushwork, but it's a fine way to plan a trip, or to keep looking after one.

Browse the Chicago and Met Van Goghs on DiscoverArt, react to the ones that catch you, and let the feed learn which side of Van Gogh — the tender or the turbulent — is really yours. Start with the feed.