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Uncle Stricker

Willemina Catharina Gerardina Carbentus – Aunt Mina – was Vincent’s mother’s sister. She had married Johannes Paulus Stricker, a clergyman. During Vincent’s time in Amsterdam, Uncle Stricker acted as a mentor to his nephew, who was hoping to follow in his footsteps. Vincent admired his uncle’s enthusiasm and passion and enjoyed going to see him preach at services all over Amsterdam.

On 10 February 1878, Vincent wrote to his brother Theo that he was taking lessons from Uncle Stricker twice a week alongside those he was receiving from Mendes da Costa. This was probably no coincidence: his father had come to Amsterdam that week to discuss how his studies were progressing, and Vincent must have decided he could use additional help.

Vincent visited the Strickers often, up to a few times a week. He joined them for coffee after church, went to their birthday parties, spent holidays at their house and sometimes had dinner there. He got on well with their daughter Kee, who lived on the Prinsengracht with her husband, Christoffel Martinus Vos. A few years later, after Vos’s death, Vincent would fall in love with Vos’s cousin Kee and ask her to marry him.