In the early 1930s, Henri van Abbe began to dream of building a center in Eindhoven where its people could be introduced to the mysteries of contemporary art--a place where they could enjoy art. In 1936 he realized this dream by donating to the city the Van Abbemuseum, which, at that time, still consisted primarily of artworks purchased and placed on loan by Henri van Abbe himself. Sixty years later, the Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum has grown into one of the most prominent museums for modern art in the world. Through the course of its history, the visionary acquisition policies of its often distinguished directors have given rise to an impressive collection that includes works by modern masters such as Picasso, Braque, Chagall, Kandinsky, El Lissitzky and Mondrian, as well as by contemporary artists like Douglas Gordon, Pierre Huyghe, Mike Kelley and Marijke van Warmerdam. This publication of this first reference work on the Van Abbemuseum's collection marks the opening of the museum's new building in January 2003. A well illustrated book, it offers detailed descriptions of the collection, the history of the museum, and its collecting policies. Each chapter examines a theme, such as De Stijl, CoBrA, Conceptualism and Minimal art, and considers works from the collection in their historical context. The catalog offers a representative overview of the Van Abbemuseum collection, but also serves as a general introduction to the art of the twentieth century. Published in conjunction with Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven.