Utrecht Local: Van Baaren Foundation 70 years
The Van Baaren Foundation celebrates 70 years in 2026. This anniversary is the reason for an exhibition that highlights the Van Baaren Collection from a contemporary perspective. Utrecht Lokaal features the floral still lifes by French artist Lydia Radda from the Van Baaren Collection alongside the contemporary works of the young, Utrecht based artist Sophie Steengracht. Steengracht makes her paintings with pigments that she extracts from her own garden. She depicts mythical worlds where all life lives together in harmony. In Lydia Radda, about whom not much is known until recently, she recognizes a kindred spirit. Lydia Radda painted her first free images of flowers and underwater worlds a hundred years ago and thus caught the eye of art lovers like brother and sister Van Baaren.
Van Baaren Foundation 70th Anniversary Program
The exhibition is part of Van Baaren's 70th anniversary program. Lambertus (1888-1964) and Josephina (1890-1959) van Baaren were avid art collectors. In total, they purchased around 400 works, mostly paintings by French and Dutch artists between 1850 and 1950. In 1956, they set up the Van Baaren Museum Foundation to secure their collection. In 1980, this foundation loaned all works to the Centraal Museum on long-term loan. In addition to this exhibition in the Utrecht Lokaal, the anniversary will be commemorated at two locations in the museum. In the City Column, View of flowers on display, an exhibition as part of the 70th anniversary program, in collaboration with social partners of the Van Baaren Foundation. In Collectio Centraal the 'Taste differences' room is dedicated to the Van Baaren collection.
On display in Utrecht Lokaal
This exhibition will be on display in Utrecht Lokaal from February 21, 2026. The exhibition space is located on the first floor of the Monastery. Work by Utrecht makers is exhibited here.
Visit as a member
Visit these and other exhibitions and activities such as friend of the museum, member of Central Club whether Central Circle.
Credits
Plant, Teacher (detail) © Sophie Steengracht