Radical Harmony: Helene Kröller-Müller's Neo-Impressionists ★★★★★ The National Gallery | Sep 13, 2025 - Feb 8, 2026


Helene Kröller-Müller (1869-1939) was an extraordinary art connoisseur. Her collection, which includes around 11,500 works, is now housed in a museum designed by the Neo-Impressionist Henry van de Velde, located in parkland near Otterlo in the Netherlands. This exhibition, featuring key pieces on loan from that collection, offers a compelling look at a movement grounded in the theory that paintings could be constructed by placing dots of pure colour side by side, allowing the viewer’s eye to blend them. Known as Pointillism and often considered a development of Impressionism, Neo-Impressionism distinguishes itself through its scientific method and intellectual ambition. These qualities stand in contrast to the more spontaneous and emotional aims of earlier Impressionist painters. While Impressionism sought to capture transient feelings and fleeting moments, the Pointillists aimed to express deeper ideas and enduring essence. Their method brings a meditative quality to the work, visible in portraits where the subjects often appear introspective and detached, even when shown in groups. The same quiet presence is felt in the landscapes, where a calm, almost spiritual atmosphere replaces emotional immediacy. Even in politically charged pieces such as Maximilien Luce’s The Iron Foundry (1899), a quiet serenity persists. Although the movement is most closely associated with Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, the exhibition also highlights several lesser-known artists. Alongside masterworks like Seurat’s Le Chahut (1889-1890) and Signac’s A Sunday, Opus 201 (1888-1890), there are striking discoveries, including Jan Toorop’s monochrome portrait Georges Lemmen (1886) and the beautifully executed drawings by Johan Thorn Prikker. This is a thoughtful and beautifully curated exhibition. It offers insight into a fascinating group of artists whose work aspires, in the words of Henry van de Velde, “to establish the Dream of realities, the ineffable soaring above them... and meditate in silence to inscribe the mysterious Meaning.”

Rated: ★★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Image: Paul Signac (1863-1935), Portrieux, the Lighthouse, Opus 183 (1888). Collection Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands (KM 104.721) © Collection Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands. Photographer: Rik Klein Gotink

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN, UK

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