Drenthe was captivated by Van Gogh last year. It was 140 years ago that he set foot on Drenthe soil and stayed in Drenthe for three months. There were more than 100 activities in the province around the famous painter.
The intention is to keep Van Gogh’s Drenthe period alive and to continue telling his story. That is why Vincent Van Gogh becomes the tenth Drenthe icon.
One million euros was invested in the story about Van Gogh in Drenthe and according to project leader Elizabeth Stoit of Marketing Drenthe, that money was well spent, she says in the Radio Drenthe program Cassata. “If you look at the number of visitors it has attracted this year, there are approximately 200,000. And they have spent 6 to 7 million in Drenthe. And that will continue, because we have cycling and walking routes that will continue for years to come. and much more. The routes were also in the Drents Museum and the Van Gogh house. And that worked very well, because people also started doing those routes after a visit. That interaction was very nice, seeing the art and the places where he painted.”
Harry Tupan of the Drents Museum also speaks of a successful and relevant project. We attracted 10,000 visitors in the first week of 2024. We are very satisfied with the past four months. Many people did not know that Van Gogh painted in Drenthe for three months. We have now shown that. A lot of people came to see it. That is a good basis for moving forward together.” Danielle van der Ark of the Van Gogh House agrees. “We receive enthusiastic responses from visitors, which is also reflected in the guestbook. We also get people from Brabant.”
“Drenthe has nine icons so far,” says Stoit. “Then you should think of the dolmens, Wildlands, the heath or the colonies of Benevolence. And Vincent van Gogh will be the tenth icon, says Stoit. “It is not only a unique selling point for Drenthe, but also a cultural legacy in Drenthe which we are happy with. And you also have to take care of cultural heritage, it’s worth it.”
“We have cycling and walking routes that are doing well. But we have to offer people more and we will work on this in the coming years to make that visible. For example, there should also be a fixed point in Hoogeveen where you can learn more about Van Gogh’s story. For example, a room where you get a digital representation on the walls, which draws you into a painting. In the church of Zweeloo, the intention is also to create a fixed point.
“The Drents Museum will have a permanent Van Gogh department where we can connect the painter with special places in the province,” says Tupan. “Van Gogh is certainly an icon. He was very significant here. He was thirty years old and didn’t know what he wanted. And he invented very important basic principles in Drenthe before he became so famous. Drenthe is, as always, the cradle.”