The Royal Academy of Arts to unveil a groundbreaking Kiefer and Van Gogh exhibition this summer

Opening in June 2025, the exhibition explores the artistic connection between Anselm Kiefer and Vincent van Gogh through paintings, drawings, and sculptures.

Vincent van Gogh, Field with frises near Arles, 1888. Oil on canvas, 54 x 65 cm. Van Gogh Museum, amsteroom (vincent van cogn rounosoon)

For the first time in the UK, the Royal Academy of Arts will present an exhibition exploring the lasting influence of Vincent van Gogh on Anselm Kiefer Hon RA. Running from 28 June to 26 October 2025, this remarkable show will bring together paintings, drawings, and sculptures by both artists, revealing their shared themes of nature, literature, and expressive landscapes. With masterpieces from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam displayed alongside Kiefer’s monumental works—including never-before-seen pieces—visitors will gain fresh insight into the artistic dialogue between these two visionaries.

Anselm Kiefer, De sterrennacht (The Starry Night), 2019. Emulsion, oil, acrylic, shellac, straw, gol af, wood, wire, sediment of an electrolysis on canvas, 470 x 840 cm. Courtesy of the Artist ar White Cube. Photo: Georges Poncet. © Anselm Kiefer.

Van Gogh was Kiefer’s first major artistic inspiration, a connection that began when Kiefer, at 18, retraced Van Gogh’s journey across Europe. This early experience shaped Kiefer’s lifelong fascination with Van Gogh’s compositions, textures, and subject matter. The exhibition will highlight this connection by placing Kiefer’s large-scale landscapes, such as Die Krähen (The Crows) (2019) and Nevermore (2014), alongside Van Gogh’s Snow-Covered Field with a Harrow (1890) and Field of Irises near Arles (1888). These pairings will showcase their shared use of high horizon lines, textured surfaces, and motifs like crows and wheatfields.

The exhibition will also feature rarely seen drawings by both artists, including Van Gogh’s La Crau Seen from Montmajour (1888), exhibited in London for the first time in over 50 years. Additionally, visitors will encounter a striking new Kiefer sculpture—a towering sunflower shedding golden seeds onto a pile of books—placed in dialogue with Van Gogh’s Piles of French Novels (1887). This piece symbolises both artists’ deep connection to literature, as Van Gogh was an avid reader, while Kiefer frequently incorporates literary references into his work.

Vincent van Gogh, Shoes, 1886. Oil on canvas, 38.1 x 45.3 cm. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation).

A major highlight will be Kiefer’s De sterrennacht (The Starry Night) (2019), a bold interpretation of Van Gogh’s most famous painting, created using straw, gold leaf, and sediment of electrolysis. This work, alongside the entire exhibition, offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore how Van Gogh’s legacy continues to shape one of today’s most significant contemporary artists.

Date: 28 June – 26 October 2025. Location: The Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Galleries, Royal Academy of Arts,Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD. Price: Pricing to be announced. royalacademy.org.uk