Pokemon Reveals Van Gogh Museum Promotion, Including Pikachu Van Gogh Card

Pokemon artwork inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's work will be on display at the Van Gogh Museum.

By Christian Hoffer

Pokemon are invading the work of Vincent Van Gogh. Today, The Pokemon Company officially revealed details about their upcoming collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum of Amsterdam, in celebration of the museum's 50th anniversary. The new collaboration will feature a new exhibit featuring six pieces of artwork inspired by famous pieces by Van Gogh that feature Pokemon. Pieces previewed include a Pikachu with a grey felt hat (a piece inspired by Van Gogh's Self-portrait with Grey Felt Hat), a Sunflora in a Sunflowers-inspired piece and a Snorlax and Munchlax lounging in Van Gogh's famed Bedroom. 

Additionally, a new line of merchandise celebrating the collaboration will be released both at the Van Gogh Museum and the online Pokemon Center store. The merchandise includes both Pikachu and Eevee figures inspired by various Van Gogh self-portraits, a jigsaw puzzle, posters, and a Van Gogh-inspired Pikachu plush. A promotional "Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat" TCG card will be given as a gift for qualifying pieces of merchandise. 

The goal of the new collaboration is to help bring Van Gogh's work to a new generation of art fans. While the collaboration may be seemingly random, Van Gogh had a special connection to Japanese artwork, collecting "thousands" of Japanese art prints and mentioning many times how Japanese styles and innovations influenced his own work. Many of the artistic choices found in Japanese art of the time were mirrored in Van Gogh's work, ranging from the unusual work of spatial features to the focus on natural details. 

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The Van Gogh Museum collaboration with Pokemon runs from September 28 until January 7, 2024. The Van Gogh x Pokemon line kicks off tomorrow and will stay until supplies last. 

Pokemon Collaborations With High Art

The Van Gogh x Pokemon collaboration is just the latest in a series of Pokemon forays into the art world. The Pokemon Company previously collaborated with a line of promotional cards to celebrate a touring exhibition of Munch's famous Scream artwork when it went to Japan. More recently, The Pokemon Company collaborated with Japanese artists and Japan House Los Angeles in an exhibit that used traditional Japanese crafts and art styles to celebrate Pokemon.

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