Life journey in Brabant

The family tree of the Vincent van Gogh family starts with Jan van Gogh and Jannetje den Meer, in 1575 in the vicinity of Den Haag.

Breda: Vincents grandfather, who came from an art loving family from De Hague, was a preacher of the Grote Kerk and the Koninklijke Militaire Academie. 

Zundert: Vincent grew up as the son of the minister Theodorus van Gogh, who preaced in this church in Zundert.

Zundert: The grave of Vincent’s oldest brother who was stillborn can still be seen in the graveyard.

Zundert: On March 30rd 1853 Vincent van Gogh was born in Zundert.

Zundert: The old village school was formerly situated on the corner of the market place, opposite Hotel de Roskam. Vincent received lessons there from January to October 1861.

Zundert: In 1910 Vincent’s sister Lies wrote some romanticised memoirs of her brother and their childhood in Zundert.

Zevenbergen: The Jan Provily boarding school, in Zundert, for boys was formerly housed in this building.

Tilburg: The High School was housed in the former town palace of Willem II in 1866. Vincent received lessons here from one of the best drawing teachers of the time: Constant Cornelis Huijsmans.

Tilburg: At this location on Korvel 57, there once stood the house of the Chief Customs Officer for Taxes, Jan Hannik and his wife Adriana van der Griend. Vincent lodged here

Helvoirt: Vincent never lived in Helvoirt. He had left the parental home two years earlier.

Breda: Vincent’s rich godfather, the art dealer Vincent van Gogh, who for health reasons had returned from his busy commercial life in Paris, lived in this villa.

Etten-Leur:  After several relations Vincent decided to become an artist and returned to his parental home in Etten.

Etten-Leur:  Vincent felt misunderstood by his parents- a well known phenomenon.

Etten-Leur: Vincent looked close to home for his models.

Etten-Leur: In the summer of 1881 Vincents' cousin Kee Vos lodged at the presbytery. Vincent fell madly in love with her.

Etten-Leur: In Etten Vincent discovered the Pollard Willows.

Etten-Leur: Vincent often visited the farm "Boerderij D'n IJzeren Pot", where Piet Kaufmann lived with his mother and his younger sister. 

Nuenen: Vincent painted this church as a present for his mother

Nuenen: The family Van Gogh lived here from 1882 to 1885, Vincent from December 1883 to May 1884.

Nuenen: After a stay of three months in Drenthe, at the end of 1883 Vincent took the train to Nuenen where his father had been a minister since 1882.

Eindhoven: This house was built by Pierre Cuypers on behalf of the retired goldsmith Antoon Hermans. Vincent gave painting lessons in the house of this amateur painter.

Gerwen: Vincent van Gogh drew the St. Clemenskerk in Gerwen in December 1883.

Eindhoven: Vincent made regular trips to Eindhoven.

Nuenen: Only one of the many weavers’ cottages which abounded in Nuenen during Van Gogh’s time still remains. It was built in 1763 and is now a listed building.

Nuenen: We now look out over meadows but Vincent would have seen the old tower of the 15th century church with its graveyard.

Nuenen: The artist Anthon van Rappard, whom Vincent had met in Brussels in 1880 visited Van Gogh several times when he was living and working in Nuenen. They went out painting together.

Nuenen: From May 1884 Vincent rented a studio from the Catholic verger Johannes Schafrat at what was then the Heieind 540. This space was more suitable for working with models.

Nuenen: The Begemann family lived in Huis Nuneville. Vincent and Margot fell in love with each other.

Eindhoven:  As an amateur painter Willem van de Wakker had lessons from Vincent.

Het Noordbrabants Museum, Den Bosch: The thatched peasants’ houses in Nuenen and the surrounding area reminded Van Gogh think about the Brabant of his youth.

Eindhoven: Jan Baijens (1838-1914) owned a paint shop which was located on the Rechtestraat C265 (now number 18).