Jo and Theo had been together for less than two years when he died in 1891. She suddenly had to provide for herself and her son, who was still a young baby. And what was she to do with the hundreds of Vincent’s paintings that Theo had left to her?

Theo always sought to raise public awareness of his brother’s work. Jo wanted to fulfil this wish, in memory of her husband.

She moved from Paris to the Dutch town of Bussum, where she opened a guest house. Bussum was home to many writers and artists, whom Jo became acquainted with. They were able to help her find her way in the art world.

Jo was smart. She organised sales exhibitions to boost the visibility of Vincent’s work. This helped pique the interest of potential buyers. She made many strategic sales of the artworks: to collections accessible to the public, and all around the world. This meant that as many people as possible could see Vincent’s work.

In 1905, Jo pulled off her most significant feat to date: the largest ever retrospective of Vincent’s work, held at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. More than 480 artworks were on display. Following this exhibition, the prices of Vincent’s work rose rapidly.

In the meantime, Jo had started another major project: publishing Vincent’s letters to his brother Theo. Selecting and editing the letters not only brought her closer to the artist, but also to her deceased husband, as the brothers were close and wrote to each other frequently.

Thanks to the publication of the letters in 1914, appreciation of Vincent rose.

Between 1891 and 1925, Jo sold nearly 200 of Vincent’s artworks. But there was one work that she and her son had difficulty parting with. They still owned two of the five sunflowers paintings, and loved the works dearly. Jo eventually sold one of the paintings to the National Gallery in London in 1924.

‘It is a sacrifice for the sake of Vincent’s glory’, wrote Jo to the director of the museum.

Thanks to ‘sacrifices’ such as this, Jo was able to fulfil her wish, and that of her late husband Theo. When she died in 1925, Vincent’s work was world-famous and exhibited at museums all around the world.

At the same time, Jo always knew exactly which works she did not want to sell. This core collection was to stay in the family.

After Jo passed away, her son Vincent transferred the artworks that were still in the family to a foundation. He was also one of the founders of the Van Gogh Museum.

This way Vincent continued working to realise his parent's dream. To this day you can admire the core collection of the Van Gogh family in the Van Gogh Museum.