Het Noordbrabants Museum has great news: the renowned 1885 painting Head of a Woman (Gordina de Groot) by Vincent van Gogh will remain in Brabant. Thanks to support from funds, over 3,000 private individuals and the business community, this ambitious project has become a reality. Acquired for €8.6 million from an English collector, the painting, created in prelude to Van Gogh’s masterpiece The Potato Eaters, will serve as the centrepiece of the museum’s Van Gogh collection. In addition, the current Van Gogh Gallery will be expanded into a dedicated wing in 2026. In that year, the painting will tour the province.
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Minister Bruins of OCW stated: ‘I’m delighted that so many private individuals contributed to the acquisition. This shows broad support. With a substantial contribution from the Ministry of OCW, the painting and its rich history will remain accessible to all, which is vital for the Netherlands and Brabant.’
Vincent van Gogh, Head of a Woman (Gordina de Groot), March-April 1885, oil on canvas on panel, 41 x 32.5 cm. Photo Peter Cox. Het Noordbrabants Museum, ’s-Hertogenbosch. Acquired with the support of the Museaal Aankoopfonds, Mondriaan Fonds, Stichting Ambacht en Cultuur, Vereniging Rembrandt (thanks in part to the H.E.J. Mirandolle Fonds, Jheronimus Fonds and a special donation from the Debman Stichting), VriendenLoterij, Vrienden van Het Noordbrabants Museum.
Affectionately dubbed the ‘Brabant Mona Lisa’, the painting quickly captured the hearts of locals and art enthusiasts from near and far. By May, around 75 per cent of the hefty sum of €8.6 million had been raised, and the call went out: the province’s 2.6 million residents were asked to contribute the final €2.6 million. In five months, the remaining funds were obtained, thanks to the donations of over 3,000 private individuals, businesses and foundations in Brabant. The funding sources include the Museaal Aankoopfonds, the Mondriaan Fonds, the Stichting Ambacht en Cultuur, the Vereniging Rembrandt and the VriendenLoterij, public and private donors and bequeaths, and the museum itself. The fundraising campaign was actively supported by the province of North Brabant and several Brabant municipalities.
Geert-Jan Janse, director of the Vereniging Rembrandt, highlighted the campaign’s significance: ‘This acquisition demonstrates that such substantial initiatives are not limited to the Randstad.’
Photo Puck Baars
Photo Jan-Kees Steenman
Radiant Future
The acquisition of Van Gogh’s Gordina marks the largest purchase in the history of Het Noordbrabants Museum. Director Jacqueline Grandjean expressed gratitude, stating:
‘We’re profoundly thankful to all who contributed. Together, we’re making art history today: Van Gogh’s Gordina is home for eternity!’
— Jacqueline Grandjean, Director Het Noordbrabants Museum
If you want to see and understand Van Gogh’s origins, Het Noordbrabants Museum is the place to be. Gordina is the face of Van Gogh’s Brabant period. Helewise Berger, curator, added: ‘This highlight from his early oeuvre brilliantly enhances the Brabant Van Gogh collection.’ 140 years ago, Van Gogh painted his famous masterpiece The Potato Eaters, with Gordina as a central figure. The museum currently showcases 12 early paintings by Van Gogh. In 2025, from 26 July to 23 November, the exhibition The Potato will focus extensively on The Potato Eaters and Van Gogh’s Nuenen period.