In the 66 years since it was founded, the Van Abbemuseum has amassed a highly reputed collection. It is a large, highly diverse and international collection with many top works by famous modern masters such as Picasso, Braque, Kandinsky, Chagall, Lissitzky and Mondrian, as well as works by post-war artists such as Appel, Beuys, Judd, Kiefer, Baselitz and Tony Cragg. The Van Abbemuseum continues to track the latest artistic developments in its collecting activities, including its most recent acquisitions: works by contemporary artists like Douglas Gordon, Pierre Huyghe, Mike Kelley and Marijke van Warmerdam.
The publication of this first reference work on the Van Abbemuseum's collection marks the opening of the new museum building. It is a lavishly illustrated book offering a detailed description of the collection, the history of the museum and its policy. Each chapter examines a theme, such as De Stijl (The Style), CoBrA, Conceptualism or Minimal Art, considering works from the collection in their historical context. The catalogue thus offers a representative overview of the Van Abbemuseum collection, but it can also serve as a general introduction to the art of the 20th century.