Sien’s Sorrow
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Living unwed with a prostitute, naturally, Van Gogh’ss family - his parents, his uncle from the Hague, and particularly Theo as his benefactor, opposed Vincent living in shame with his mistress. Theo, fearing that Sien was only using van Gogh for his money, urged him to leave her.
The relationship with the prostitute Sien also contributed to the split with his cousin, the artist Anton Mauve, who stopperd supporting Vincent with money and refused to tutor him any further.
Although he did not withdraw his financial support, Theo asked Vincent repeatedly to leave the Hague and Sien, and move north to the province of Drenthe to paint peasants and rural landscapes. Al last, Vincent followed his brother’s advice and left for Drenthe, ending the domestic life of Vincent with Sien and the children.
So what happened to Sien, the prostitute?
She left both of her children in the care of her mother and brother and was forced to resume her life as a seamstress, cleaner and probably a prostitute, before marrying in 1901. Three years later, at the age of 54, in 1904, she threw herself into the River Schelde and drowned, thereby fulfilling a prophecy she made to van Gogh in 1883; ‘Yes I’m a whore…it’s bound to end up with me jumping into the water’.
In the years when Vincent lived with Sien, he created many nude drawings of her. The drawing Sorrow from 1882 is widely known as a masterpiece by Vincent on paper. He himself appeared to appreciate it a lot. In a letter dated June 1882, he wrote; ‘I want to create drawings that touch people. Sorrow is a small beginning (….) there is at least something directly from my own heart’.
The relationship with the prostitute Sien also contributed to the split with his cousin, the artist Anton Mauve, who stopperd supporting Vincent with money and refused to tutor him any further.
Although he did not withdraw his financial support, Theo asked Vincent repeatedly to leave the Hague and Sien, and move north to the province of Drenthe to paint peasants and rural landscapes. Al last, Vincent followed his brother’s advice and left for Drenthe, ending the domestic life of Vincent with Sien and the children.
So what happened to Sien, the prostitute?
She left both of her children in the care of her mother and brother and was forced to resume her life as a seamstress, cleaner and probably a prostitute, before marrying in 1901. Three years later, at the age of 54, in 1904, she threw herself into the River Schelde and drowned, thereby fulfilling a prophecy she made to van Gogh in 1883; ‘Yes I’m a whore…it’s bound to end up with me jumping into the water’.
In the years when Vincent lived with Sien, he created many nude drawings of her. The drawing Sorrow from 1882 is widely known as a masterpiece by Vincent on paper. He himself appeared to appreciate it a lot. In a letter dated June 1882, he wrote; ‘I want to create drawings that touch people. Sorrow is a small beginning (….) there is at least something directly from my own heart’.
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