For those who missed it: in 2023, we will commemorate Vincent van Gogh’s stay in Drenthe, 140 years ago. This involves many activities. But there is also criticism.
According to the website of this newspaper, Albert Metselaar from Hoogeveen recently ‘wiped the floor with Van Gogh events in Drenthe’. According to the amateur historian and publicist, in the commemoration year the facts are being ignored and organizations are trolling the painter to take advantage of the attention surrounding his life and work.
It is not the first time that Metselaar has criticized how Van Gogh is handled. After the installation of an information panel in Hollandscheveld, he even spoke with two supporters in July of censorship, sneaky stuff, power and fraudulent research. In September he criticized a lack of attention for the psyche and ‘dark side’ of Van Gogh.
With his attitude, Metselaar lives up to his reputation as a thorn in the side. Especially in Hoogeveen and the surrounding area, no historical research can be presented without knowing more about it – sometimes literally, other times figuratively. He often questions official results through the media. This also applies to the major Van Gogh research conducted by the Drents Museum, Drenthe Archives and Het Drentse Landschap.
It is important to know that this research was the first professional attempt to separate the wheat from the chaff. It is set to retell Van Gogh’s Drenthe story for a much larger group than historians and enthusiasts. This should indeed not lead to nonsense, such as claims by Metselaar himself that Van Gogh was bipolar and made self-portraits based on the question ‘whether he could be there’.
Opinions may differ about the quality of some Van Gogh activities. It is true that the commemoration has led to unprecedented inspiration in Drenthe, with the exhibition in the Drents Museum as the highlight and schoolchildren writing letters to their brothers, sisters and parents as a wonderful by-catch.
At least as important is what is being done to keep Van Gogh’s Drenthe story alive after 2023. A statement for the coming discussion: better to have more space for artists who seek and obtain artistic freedom in Drenthe than for amateur historians who polish the nails and forget the coffin.