Van Gogh's trip to Courrières
In 1880, Vincent van Gogh walken from Cuesmes in the Borinage, Belgium to Courrières, France, in hoping to meet the painter and poet Jules Breton. As part of her photographic project Vincent Was Here, and following on from the Au Borinage project exhibited last year in the two Van Gogh houses in the Borinage, photographer Karin Borghouts had the opportunity to retrace this journey on April 5 and 6. This was made possible thanks to the dedication and organisational talent of Filip Depuydt, guide and 'ambassador' of the Borinage (Borigines).
The journey was made by bicycle in one day, with the return the next. Van Gogh took three days on foot. He set off at the beginning of March, under stormy skies, with no food and not a penny in his pocket. The route followed the Scarpe and then the Deule rivers. In Van Gogh’s time, these rivers were important and safe trade routes, as there were no motor vehicles and goods were transported by towboat.
At Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, we were joined by a group of fellow cyclists from Arras. Thanks to Filip’s extensive network, we got comments from locals along the way and were guided in the right direction.
In Courrières, we were given a festive welcome by a local committee and the mayor. The town’s historical society gave us an insight into Jules Breton, a famous painter of rural life in his day. Van Gogh greatly admired him, although he is largely forgotten today. Van Gogh never actually met Breton; he returned to Cuesmes without success. But on this journey, at the age of 27, he became certain of his path as an artist. One of his great inspirations was also Jean-François Millet, whose paintings he later copied several times.
Many thanks to Filip Depuydt, and especially to French journalist Bruno Vouters, who, together with Christian Habart, thoroughly researched and documented this journey in his book Je marche sur le chemin de Vincent van Gogh.
An unforgettable journey!
