Eindhoven: Telegrapher and postal worker Willem van de Wakker lived on Rozemarijnstraat B 253 (now Jan van Lieshoutstraat) from 3 June 1884 to 10 December 1891. As an amateur painter he had lessons from Vincent. Van de Wakker – who was, according to Vincent, too posh and too French – recalled in 1927 that Vincent was not an easy teacher. He was sarcastic and swore often. Eating, drinking and resting were things he did not do often and only as much as strictly necessary. When offered to share a meal by Willem’s mother, he allegedly said “I will only have a crust of bread. I don’t eat that obedient and righteous food.” The Vincentre in Nuenen has a few of Van de Wakker’s watercolours from a later time period in its collection.
