Nuenen: Part 2
As promised…
The back of the house, with Vincent’s studio in the foreground.
I like to imagine this is the door Vincent snuck out of when he couldn’t take his parents anymore.
Corner of his studio. I touched the brick here, it’s as close as I got.
Now, the first statue of Vincent I saw on my trip. I approached from behind, and already I liked it. At this point I was also looking for a place to sit inside and get a cup of coffee, and there was a cafe right next across the street from him called Comigo. At the time, I read it as Conmigo, “with me” in Spanish, and took it as a sign since I am half Spanish. However, it’s actually Portuguese. Nonetheless, I still find it strange that there is a Portuguese restaurant in a small town in the southern Netherlands… Oh, never mind. Back to the man.
Made by Klaas van Rosmalen, in 1984.
Ready to draw.
I liked that leaf, and his foot.
I liked that he leaned forward, ready to engage.
Also fitting is the rock he stands on: “The pedestal, originally from the Southern Ardennes, is a 2 ton heavy carbonic limestone, which is at least 300 million years old.” That’s from the little map they gave me. I think the rock is wildly appropriate. A man of the earth, of the ages. This was my first and still my favorite statue of him.
I sat at Comigo, put down the leaky umbrella, took off the poncho, relaxed a bit, and enjoyed my view.
Last but not least (for today, there are still more photos of Nuenen to come!), I want to leave you with some signs from the town. I found it really striking to see so many things named after Vincent, and maybe you’ll find it quirky too. Don’t forget to click on the photos for more!
Later this week I’ll be putting up some videos from Nuenen, so keep an eye out!