Jo van Gogh-Bonger
Read more about the woman who made Vincent famous.
To mark the centenary of Jo van Gogh-Bonger’s death (1862–1925), the Van Gogh Museum presents Captivated by Vincent. The Intimate Friendship of Jo van Gogh-Bonger and Isaac Israëls, a small-scale exhibition exploring her special relationship with the painter Isaac Israëls (1865–1934). Jo, who was married to Vincent van Gogh’s brother Theo, played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting Vincent’s legacy.
Between 1915 and 1920, Jo lent Israëls several of Van Gogh’s masterpieces – including Sunflowers, The Bedroom, and The Yellow House (The Street) – which Israëls then used as backdrops in at least seventeen of his own works. He even coined the verb "Vincenting” to describe this creative process.
The exhibition shows ten of these paintings, from Dutch museum and private collections. Two of the works with the Sunflowers are in the collection of the Van Gogh Museum. There is also a special drawn study on display, in which Van Gogh's works can be seen.