More than 60 of about 800 known Vincent Van Gogh artworks will feature in a major exhibit coming to Australia next year.
The 2017 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces: Van Gogh and the seasons, was unveiled at the National Gallery of Victoria on Friday alongside the entire autumn/winter 2017 season.
Victoria's minister for creative industries, Martin Foley made the announcement and said it will feature more than 40 paintings and 25 drawings from one of art history's most famous figures.
He said many artworks, will be coming to Australia for the first time.
"It's really remarkable to have such a concentration of the artist's work here in Melbourne for the exhibition, because there are only around 800 known Van Gough paintings that exist," Mr Foley said.
"And to have more than 60 of these in Melbourne for the exhibition is pretty extraordinary."
Martin Foley and Tony Ellwood unveil next year's major exhibit. Source: Philip Ly
He said the exhibition will also include works from the artist's own art collection and draw extensively on his personal letters, giving insight into the man behind the works.
Former head of collections at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam curated the exhibit.
He said it will concentrate on the central theme of the seasons, while showing the development of Van Gogh as a painter.
"it was the cycle of the seasons which gave him the feeling of the eternity of nature, the never ending cycle of bloom, growth and death," he said.
" ... yet he always stayed loyal to his subject matter."
The Melbourne Winter Masterpieces is now in it's thirteenth year and has attracted more than 500 million visitors and contributed $400 million to the Victorian economy.
The major exhibition will be open to the public from April to July next year.
