Discover Van Gogh in Breda

Vincent's grandfather, Vincent Ferdinand Jacob van Gogh (1789 - 1874), was a minister at both the Grote Kerk and at the Royal Military Academy. He lived with his family on Vissersstraat and later on Reigerstraat. His son Theodorus (Vincent's father) succeeded him and also became a minister, mainly in Zundert, Etten-Leur and Nuenen. 

Grandfather Vincent was one of the first prominent citizens of Breda to be buried at the Protestant cemetery Haagveld, alongside his wife. The graves can still be visited. Vincent painted his grandfather once. A copy of this work is displayed in the Grote Kerk.

Grote Kerk - Kerkplein 2

Vincent's godfather (1820-1888) was probably the most influential of all his uncles and aunts. Uncle Cent, as Vincent called his namesake, was an art dealer and shareholder of the successful French art dealership Coupil & Co. He and his wife lived in Villa Mertersem in Princenhage.

As a child, Vincent often visited him. He must have been undoubtedly inspired by Uncle Cent's large art collection, especially paintings of Princenhage.

Uncle Cent gave Vincent his first paintbox and introduced him to art teacher Anton Mauve. Uncle Cent and his wife are also buried in the Breda cemetery Haagveld.

Villa Mertersem, Haagweg 389

Protestant cemetery Haagveld (1932) was designed by the Breda architectural firm Korteweg and Verwoerd.

Here rests, among others, Vincent's grandparents and godfather 'Uncle Cent' and his wife. Grandpa's grave is quite small and not easy to find, unlike the more expensive and larger grave of his godfather.

Another tribute to Vincent van Gogh can be found in the cemetery: a granite bench, placed on the initiative of the Breda poet Pien Storm van Leeuwen (1945 - 2020). On it is a text by Vincent in which he praises the beauty of Princenhage.

Haagweg 334

When Vincent lived in Etten, later merged with Leur, he often walked from there to Princenhage to visit family. He must have walked over the Haagsemarkt frequently.

The square made an impression. In a letter, he described how beautiful he found the Martinuskerk in the evening light, combined with the farmers and farmwomen dressed in black attending the service.

In 2019, the Haagsemarkt was redesigned. Various ways attention was paid to Vincent van Gogh in the streetscape. An example can be seen in the photo, where a small portrait of Van Gogh is on a signpost.

Het Gele Huis in Princenhage (2018) is a direct tribute to Vincent van Gogh, inspired by the famous Gele Huis in Arles, Southern France, where Vincent lived and worked.

It was Vincent's dream to turn Het Gele Huis in Arles into a hotspot for artists to paint together and exchange ideas. Unfortunately, this did not come to fruition, but this dream was realised in 2018 in Princenhage, Breda.

Het Gele Huis organises various programmes, from exhibitions and workshops to music theatre and lectures. There are guided walks focusing on the connection between Vincent van Gogh and Princenhage.

Haagsemarkt 6 achter

In Breda, three large murals can be found that are directly connected to Vincent van Gogh. All three were commissioned by the Blind Walls Gallery.

The potato plant on Vincent van Goghstraat refers to his most famous work 'De Aardappeleters', and a 100-metre mural on Terheijdenseweg to his younger brother Cornelis van Gogh.

The third mural on Stallingstraat depicts the text 'Trash to Treasure'. This mural refers to the disappeared works of Van Gogh.

After Vincent's father passed away, his mother moved to Breda with one of her daughters. She stored some of her belongings with the carpenter who was renovating her house. Among these items were crates containing drawings and studies by her then-unknown son.

Years later, with the mother having moved to Leiden, the carpenter wanted to get rid of these crates. He took them to an art dealer who did not attach much value to them.

Some of the items were given away or sold for very little. And even a portion was recycled by a paper mill.

The West-Brabant Region has placed thirteen audio columns to make Van Gogh's life more visible to the general public in our region. In addition to well-known stories, lesser-known aspects of Van Gogh are also told.

In Breda, several columns can be found at locations mentioned in this blog. Particularly in the Great Church, where his grandfather preached, and at Villa Mertersem, where godfather 'Uncle Cent' lived.