The article reviews the Van Gogh year in 2025, highlighting several key developments. The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam faces potential closure unless the Dutch government increases its annual building subsidy from €8.5m to €11m, leading the museum to file a legal complaint. At auction, two Van Gogh paintings sold, with "Parisian Novels" (1887) fetching $62.7m at Sotheby's, a record for his Paris period, and eight drawings were sold, including "Sower in a Wheatfield with setting Sun" (1888) for $11.2m. Acquisitions included "Tarascon Stagecoach" (1888) given to LACMA via the Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation, and "Head of a Peasant" (1885) bought by Korean-born gallery owner Hong Gyu Shin, marking the first known Van Gogh acquisition by a Korean.
This matters because it underscores Van Gogh's enduring global appeal, particularly in East Asia, while also revealing institutional vulnerabilities. The Van Gogh Museum's funding crisis highlights broader challenges faced by state-supported museums in maintaining infrastructure. The record auction prices and new acquisitions by Asian buyers reflect shifting market dynamics, with Chinese and Korean collectors becoming major forces in the Van Gogh market. The legal battle between the museum and the Dutch government could set a precedent for cultural heritage funding and state obligations.