Van Gogh heritage sites have been set up in Zundert, Nuenen and Etten-Leur . Visitors can start their journey of discovery through the world of Van Gogh there. In Van Gogh House Zundert, the focus is on his early years and his family. In Etten-Leur, visitors can witness the start of his career as an artist and his complex relationships. In Van Gogh Village Museum in Nuenen, visitors will discover the intense quest for color and form that led to the first masterpiece.
Where the story began
Vincent van Gogh was born in Zundert on March 30, 1853. The art center Vincent van GoghHuis stands on his native soil. A radio play takes visitors back to his childhood years. Vincent was baptized in the nearby Van Gogh Church. The cemetery contains the grave of the famous artist's stillborn brother, who was also named Vincent.
The First Steps of a Master
When Vincent was 28, he made an important decision: he wanted to follow his passion and become an artist. In 1881 he officially registered as an artist in Etten-Leur for the first time. He also got his very first studio there.
In the setting of The Potato Eaters
Nuenen was a very important place for Vincent. The years he lived here, from 1883 to 1885, were one of the most productive periods of his life. It was also where he painted his first masterpiece, The Potato Eaters. The Van Gogh Village Museum takes you back to those times. No fewer than 24 locations in Nuenen remind you of Van Gogh.
Where he lived
Vincent van Gogh and his family have a special connection to Helvoirt. His father was a pastor here from 1871 to 1875. In addition to Vincent's parents, brothers and sisters, several other family members lived in this village: as many as 21! Learn more about Helvoirt and the Van Gogh family.
Where he learned to draw
Vincent van Gogh spent two years "boarding" in Tilburg to attend the Rijks Hogere Burger School - the first HBS in Brabant. Here, at the age of 13, he received his first drawing lessons. Learn more about Tilburg and Vincent's drawing lessons.
Van Gogh in Brabant
The only place in the south of the Netherlands, Het Noordbrabants Museum in Den Bosch features original works by Van Gogh from his time in North Brabant. Admire, for example, the paintings of Gordina and the Collse Watermolen, a site you can visit in person.
