Van Gogh in

Oosterkerk

Vincent van Gogh sometimes attended the Oosterkerk, which was close to the naval dockyard where he lived. In May 1877, he described the church and the striking view around it:

“Today was stormy, on my way to my lessons this morning I looked towards the Zuiderzee from the bridge. There was one white stripe on the horizon with dark grey clouds above it, the rain pouring down from them in slanting lines in the distance, standing out against this was the long row of houses with the Oosterkerk.” Read the complete letter

On 10 June, he heard his Uncle Stricker preach there on the subject of “praise, not of men but of God”. Vincent once visited the Oosterkerk’s sexton, Jacobus Cornelus Kroes, who lived next door to the church. They discussed Uncle Stricker’s role in the church.