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  1. Image

Tomakker (hoek van de Smits van Oyenlaan met de Laan van Nuenhem)

The church’s foundations have been exposed, and the site is open to the public.

Van Gogh in

Old Church

  1. 5 Dec. 1883 1883
     - 30 Jun. 1885 1885

One of Vincent’s favourite places in Nuenen was the old church tower that stood just outside of the village. He painted and drew the fifteenth-century tower dozens of times, for instance in The Old Tower at Dusk, The Old Tower at Nuenen with a Ploughman, De oude kerktoren (“The Old Church Tower”), and The Old Church Tower at Nuenen. The tower could be seen from the parsonage’s back garden and is depicted in some of the views Vincent painted of it, although Vincent often placed the structure in the wrong position.

While Vincent was still living in The Hague in 1883, his brother Theo wrote to him about his parents’ new home and mentioned the tower. Vincent replied:

“What you say about their new surroundings is most interesting. I certainly would like to try doing that kind of old church and churchyard with sandy graves and old wooden crosses.” Read the complete letter

The tower was demolished in 1885. On 2 June of that year, Vincent wrote in dismay:

“The old tower is being pulled down next week! The spire’s already off ” Read the complete letter

Vincent painted the tower in The Old Church Tower at Nuenen without its spire. He also painted a watercolour, Sale of Building Scrap. The cemetery beside the tower remained in use and Vincent’s father was buried there in 1895.

Made here

The old chucrh tower at Nuenen with a ploughman, 1884

The old chucrh tower at Nuenen with a ploughman, 1884

Oil on canvas, 36 x 44,3 cm

Kröller-Müller, Otterlo

The old tower at dusk, 1884

The old tower at dusk, 1884

Oil on canvas on cardboard, 35 x 47 cm

Particuliere collectie

The old tower, 1884

The old tower, 1884

Oil on canvas on cardboard, 47,5 x 55 cm

Foundation E.G. Buehrle Collection, Zürich

The old church tower at Nuenen ('Het boerenkerkhof'), 1885

The old church tower at Nuenen ('Het boerenkerkhof'), 1885

Oil on canvas, 65 x 80 cm

Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum (Vincent van Gogh Stichting)

Sale of building scrap, 1885

Sale of building scrap, 1885

Mixed media, 38 x 55,4 cm

Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum (Vincent van Gogh Stichting)

    Relevant letters from Vincent

    Continue reading

    1. Ton de Brouwer

      De oude toren en Van Gogh in Nuenen
      Venlo, 2000
    2. Ton de Brouwer

      Van Gogh en Nuenen
      Venlo, 1984