Dutch Exhibit of Van Gogh Works Seen by 1.2 Million

An exhibit of works by Van Gogh drew a record 1.2 million visitors over a four-month period, organizers said today. People camped out through the weekend in hopes of seeing the show before it closed.

The “Vincent van Gogh Retrospective” offered an unprecedented collection of masterpieces from museums and private collections around the world. It closed Sunday, the 100th anniversary of the Dutch artist’s death.

Nearly 140 paintings were on show in Amsterdam’s Vincent van Gogh Museum, which houses the world’s largest Van Gogh collection. Simultaneously, 248 drawings were on display at the Kroeller Mueller Museum in Otterlo, about 55 miles east of Amsterdam.

“They are the ones he would have shown if he ever had given an exhibition,” said Lisbeth Heenk, a spokeswoman for the Kroeller Mueller museum.

She said the number of visitors broke records for Dutch museum exhibits as well as Van Gogh exhibits in other countries.

No security problems or incidents were reported. Security was a serious concern in light of a series of major thefts and vandalism in recent years.

The works borrowed for the retrospective were reportedly insured for a total of $3.3 billion. Dutch museums do not insure their own works.

Among the most famous paintings on display were “Starry Night,” “The Bedroom” and “The Potato Eaters.” Not on display were “Irises” and “Portrait of Dr. Gachet,” which have been bought at auction for record prices.