A tribute to Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh and the province of Brabant have very close ties. The painter was born and raised in this region and created his masterpiece The Potato Eaters (1885) here. You can still visit several locations in Brabant that have played a crucial role in his work and life, from the house where he was born in Zundert to the school where he took his first drawing lessons. 

The Noordbrabants Museum in Den Bosch exhibits much of Van Gogh’s work. The Peasant Woman Digging (1885), from the museum’s own collection, is accompanied by works on loan from the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and from a private collection. In addition to Self Portrait with Pipe (1886), the display will include works from his Brabant period, such as farm houses, portraits of peasants and still lifes. A painting of the rectory in Nuenen also reveals the house of Van Gogh’s parents. The house also served as his studio for a while.

The city of Mons is the 2015 European Capital of Culture – the perfect opportunity for this Belgian city to pay tribute to Vincent van Gogh. From 25 January – 17 May, the BAM (Museum voor Schone Kunsten (Museum of Fine Arts)) will launch celebrations with a major exhibition entitled Van Gogh in the Borinage: The Birth of an Artist. Here you can learn more about Van Gogh's time in the Borinage, a region in Wallonia, and its influence on his life and work.

Paris is also preparing a number of events and exhibitions to honour the painter. A special room has been set aside at the Fondation Custodia to display Van Gogh’s work. The selection will include many impressive drawings and paintings, such as Worn Out, a drawing of a desperate character from his Parisian period, and Wheat, a colourful painting from his Arles period. There will also be walking tours to several important Van Gogh locations in the neighbourhood of Montmartre: including his brother Theo’s house and the cafés where Van Gogh met with other artists.