Van Goghexperts have declared the Dutch Reformed Church in Etten-Leur a Van Gogh Monument. This expands the number of official Van Gogh Monuments in Brabant to 40. Van Gogh visited the church (the Trouwkerkje on the Van Bergenplein in Etten-Leur Noord) several times in 1881. Vincent was friends with the family of Reverend Kam with whom he went to draw in the Etten-Leur area.
Sketchbooks of Reverend Kam's children.
Vincent van Gogh went drawing with the children of Reverend Kam with some regularity. Several sketchbooks have been preserved in the Kam family archives with sketches from 1881 made in Etten and Leur. The drawings, which have not been published before, are valuable study material for learning more about Vincent's period and work in Etten-Leur. For example, a sketch of a peasant woman peeling potatoes by Catharina Cornelia Kam bears a striking resemblance to a model Vincent drew here.
The team of experts - Ron Dirven (Vincent van GoghHuis Zundert) and Helewise Berger (Het Noordbrabants Museum) - is researching Vincent van Gogh's relationship with Brabant in collaboration with the Van Gogh Brabant Foundation . Teio Meedendorp endorsed the granting of the Trouwkerkje as a Van Gogh monument on behalf of Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam. The status underlines the significance of the location for the life and work of Vincent van Gogh who was born and grew up in Brabant.
Wedding church of Leur
The Dutch Reformed church in 'Leur' dates from 1614 and is a national monument. The interior of the church contains three decorated text boards (1616-1648), pews with neo-Gothic letter panels and an organ by Jacobus Zeemans (1716). It is owned by the municipality of Etten-Leur and currently used as a wedding venue. With some regularity, it also hosts exhibitions and concerts. The church can be visited from October 19 to 23, 2022 during the exhibition 100 years Suze Robertson. Robertson is considered the female equivalent of Van Gogh.
Van Gogh heritage in Etten-Leur
The new monument is a valuable addition to the Van Gogh heritage in Etten-Leur, the municipality where Vincent van Gogh began his career. The painter experienced a turbulent period in Etten-Leur that would prove decisive for his further development as an artist. The exhibition in the Van Gogh Church (entrance via Markt 4) illustrates this phase and, in combination with a guided walk along the Van Gogh Monuments, offers visitors a penetrating insight into the life of Van Gogh.
The Trouwkerkje is the fifth Van Gogh Monument in Etten-Leur and the fortieth so in Brabant.
