Helene Kröller-Müller

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This biography does not cite any references or sources. (January 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Helene Kröller-Müller (February 11, 1869 – December 14, 1939) was one of the first European women to put together a major art collection.

She was born Helene Emma Laura Juliane Müller into a wealthy industrialist family in Germany. She married a Dutchman named Anton Kröller in 1888 and used both surnames in accordance with Dutch tradition.

Helene Kröller-Müller was an avid art collector, and one of the first people to recognise the genius of Vincent van Gogh. She also collected works by other modern artists.

In 1935, she donated to the Dutch people her entire collection totaling approximately 12,000 objects. Held in the care of the Dutch government, the Kröller-Müller Museum was opened in 1938 near the town of Otterlo in the Netherlands.