8­7­2015 Nuenen ­ Where Van Gogh Created His First Masterpiece

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8­7­2015 Nuenen ­ Where Van Gogh Created His First Masterpiece

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Nuenen – Where Van GoghCreated His First Masterpiece

10 Mar ’15

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In December of 1883, at the age of 30, Vincent van Gogharrived in the village of Nuenen, where he lived with hisparents in the vicarage of the Dutch Reformed Church.

During his stay here, which lasted for almost two years, heset up his studio in the wash room at the back of thevicarage. From there he continued to develop his talent,working with live models to create studies of peasant life.

While in Nuenen he would complete close to 200 paintings,numerous drawings, sketches, and watercolors; in total about1/4 of all of his works. Included in these are severallandscapes, paintings of the village, numerous portraits, anddrawings and paintings of laborers.

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8­7­2015 Nuenen ­ Where Van Gogh Created His First Masterpiece

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The Old Church Tower at Nuenen, February-March 1884 –Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands

Poplars at Sunset, October 1884 – Kröller-Müller Museum,Otterlo, the Netherlands

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Head of a Woman with White Cap, 1884-1885 – Kröller-MüllerMuseum, Otterlo, the Netherlands

Loom with Weaver, June-July 1884 – Kröller-Müller Museum,Otterlo, the Netherlands

His first large scale painting and masterpiece was completedin April of 1885 just one month following his father’s death.

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The Potato Eaters, April 1885 – Van Gogh Museum,Amsterdam, the Netherlands

With the death of his father came the appointment of a newvicar who dissuaded his congregation from working withVincent. No longer able to work with live models, Vincentmade the decision to leave Nuenen that same year and travelto Belgium to begin studies at the Antwerp Academy.

During our visit to Nuenen we took a guided tour throughthe village where over 20 sites remain from Vincent’s timehere; places where he lived and worked.

8­7­2015 Nuenen ­ Where Van Gogh Created His First Masterpiece

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Several of these are designated by information boards withaudio boxes offering both English and Dutch descriptions.(The photos we took are posted here alongside images ofVincent’s original drawings/paintings; our photos are thethumbnails on the right.)

These sites include the 19th century Dutch Reformed Church(now the Van Goghkerkje) where Vincent’s father served asVicar and which Vincent painted in 1884,

the Vicarage where Vincent and his parents lived, the pondbehind the Vicarage where he drew landscapes,

the cottage, near the post office that he visited regularly tomail letters to his brother Theo. Other sites are places on theoutskirts of the village like the Watermill at Opwetten whichhe painted in 1884,

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and places that honor his memory and his art, like theRoosegaarde ‘Starry Night’ bicycle path.

Our visit to Nuenen also included a stop at the Vincentre inthe heart of the village. Housed in the former town hall,

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Entrance Sketches Loom Exhibit Nuenen Exhibit Family Tree

this museum presents an in-depth history of the artist, toldthrough a comprehensive collection of items and a time-lineof his life (the best we’ve seen yet in our travels).

Displays include the official record of residency fromVincent’s stay in Nuenen (complete with ‘notation’ when hereported to city hall that he was leaving),

projected images of family members and acquaintances whotell of their experiences with Vincent, view finders that give aglimpse of Nuenen ‘then and now’ (as it was in Vincent’s dayand how it looks at present), and displays of items andartifacts giving visitors a look at Nuenen of the 1880s.

As part of a joint initiative of the Van Gogh EuropeFoundation, the village of Nuenen and other locations in the

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Netherlands, France, Belgium, and England are celebratingVincent’s legacy with VanGogh2015, a series of specialevents and exhibits commemorating the 125th anniversary ofVincent’s death. For more information on events in andaround Nuenen visit Van Gogh Brabant. For moreinformation on events in other parts of Europe visit VanGogh Europe.

Getting There:

See the map below for the location of Nuenen.

Vincentre in Nuenen is located at Berg 29.

Ticket Info:

Adult Admission (Vincentre) = 7.00€; additional fee of 1.75€for audio guide1-hour guided tour through Nuenen (1-4 people) = 25.00€

Nuenen – Where Van Gogh Created His First Masterpiece

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