Charley Toorop: Love for Van Gogh

Concept
Vincent van Gogh played a fundamental role in shaping Toorop’s artistic development. Like Van Gogh, she traveled to the Borinage and Provence and shared his fascination with portraying real people and the natural world. Although Toorop admired various modern artists, she described Van Gogh’s work as a breakthrough to a new world. The exhibition explored this artistic dialogue by presenting Toorop’s work alongside visual references to Van Gogh, highlighting both influence and individuality. Through thematic groupings and a carefully layered exhibition design, visitors were invited to discover how Toorop developed her own distinctive voice while carrying traces of Van Gogh’s legacy.

What did we made?
The exhibition was designed by Studio Met Met in collaboration with Dana Dijkgraaf. The artworks were grouped by theme and supported by color coded environments that helped distinguish the narratives and enhance the visual impact of the paintings.

Large, blurred wall prints of Van Gogh’s artworks were placed behind selected paintings by Toorop. Although visually bold, this approach created a subtle yet powerful visual echo from the past. The presence of Van Gogh’s work could be felt without overpowering Toorop’s paintings, perfectly reflecting the curatorial vision that Van Gogh’s influence remained softly embedded in her artistic language. The Van Gogh works used for the wall prints were carefully selected in close consultation with the curator to ensure that each image strengthened the corresponding theme.

Custom designed spacers were introduced throughout the exhibition to protect artworks that required additional security. These elements took the form of colored surfaces with raised edges or elegant curved steel constructions that continued the wall prints and color schemes, blending functional design with the spatial experience.

Typography played an important narrative role within the exhibition. A warm sans serif typeface created a feminine and contemporary appearance as a tribute to Toorop’s character and artistic presence. Alongside this, a serif typeface was introduced to emphasize the storytelling and romantic layers within the exhibition.

Sparkles
The exhibition formed part of a broader renewed focus on female artists within Dutch museum programming. The feminine typographic approach subtly reflected this cultural context while honoring Charley Toorop’s legacy. By combining layered scenography, thoughtful color choices, and symbolic visual references, the exhibition created an immersive dialogue between two artists across time. Visitors were invited to experience not only the influence of Van Gogh, but also the strength, independence, and artistic clarity that define Toorop’s remarkable body of work.