Helene Kröller-Müller was born into a wealthy industrialist family as Helene Müller in Germany. She married a Dutchmanman named Anton Kröller in 1888 and used both surnames in accordance with Dutch tradition.

Helene Kröller-Müller was an avid art collector, and one of the first people to recognise the genius of Vincent van Gogh. She also collected works by other modern artists.

In 1935, she donated her entire collection to the Dutch people, in the care of the Dutch government. The museum named after her was opened in 1938 and is near the town of Otterlo in the Netherlands.