Van Gogh House in Cuesmes

Having been abandoned for nearly a century, The van Gogh House almost disappeared due to the poor condition it was in. On January the 3rd 1972, The City of Mons, determined to save this place of memory from ruin, acquired the house.  3 years of rehabilitation work, from 2005 to 2007, made it possible for a reception pavilion to be set up. Unfortunately, moisture problems due to repeated flooding prevented the pavilion from welcoming visitors in optimal conditions. The City of Mons therefore decided to further renovate the house and completely rethink the scenographic project.
 
The scenography for the house and the pavilion was rethought to enable visitors to experience van gogh’s daily life during his stay in the Borinage, from 1878 to 1880.
 
The pavilion’s new scenography allows us to discover the context of Van Gogh’s arrival in our region and his itinerary during these two years. It also gives us an overview of this “pays noir” (black country) called the Borinage.
 
The visit continues in the house itself, where the mind of its illustrious inhabitant can express itself in a simple and sober fashion.
 
Discover replicas of the works he produced while in this house, such as l’usine à coke à flénu (the coke factory), la maison Magros (the magros house), la maison Zandemnik (the zandemnik house) and les bécheurs (the diggers) inspired from Jean-François Millet’s works, the original of which, acquired by the City of Mons, can be discovered in the Artothèque (art Library) of Mons (Rue Claude de Bettignies, 1).
 
The books Vincent Van Gogh Consulted while in the Borinage, and which marked him so deeply, are displayed in a showcase: Armand Cassagne’s famous Drawing instruction books, which enabled him to perfect his pencil stroke; books about the Borinage, such as Adolphe Siret’s historical accounts of Belgium; as well as his favorite readings from Charles Dickens or Victor Hugo.
 
The facsimile of one of his letters will then allow to enter the painter’s mind and an interactive terminal will allow you to browse trough the letters he wrote in Wasmes, Cuesmes and Brussels.
 
Complete this journey back in time with a recreation of the interior of the house, as it was in van Gogh’s days and a video projection which closes the visit and which will allow you to learn even more, should your thirst for knowledge not yet be quenched. 
 
All the new scenography for the Pavilion and the house is available in three languages (French, Dutch and English). Guided museum tours via visitMons.
Information : groupes@ville.mons.be