More about Jo
Aged 28, Jo lost the love of her life. Her husband Theo van Gogh died, leaving Jo with their baby son and an apartment filled with his brother Vincent’s artworks.
In the final two years of his life, Vincent had gained recognition amongst the avant-garde and his work had been displayed in exhibitions in Paris and Brussels. After Vincent’s death, his brother Theo wanted nothing more than to raise the profile of his brother’s work. But just six months later, Theo also passed away.
His widow, Jo van Gogh-Bonger, set about completing the task. She sold some of Vincent’s works, loaned others out for exhibitions and – also very importantly – published his letters to Theo. Van Gogh’s fascinating life story is one of the reasons why his work gradually took the whole world by storm. Without Jo’s dedication, this would never have been possible.