Willemina Jacoba van Gogh (1862 - 1941)

Born 16 Mar 1862 in Zundert, Noord-Brabant, Nederland

Ancestors

Died 17 May 1941 at age 79 in Ermelo, Gelderland, Nederland

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Biography

Willemina was born in 1862. She was the daughter of Theodorus Van Gogh and Anna Carbentus.

During the first part of her life Wil served as a nurse helping her family as well as others. In 1890 following the death of her brothers Wil obtained a modest job in a hospital. At this hospital she created "National exhibition of women's work" (Nationale Tentoonstelling van Vrouwenarbeid), 1898 which raised funds. It also established the Dutch national bureau for women's work funded by 20,000 Dutch Guilders.

On 4 December 1902 Wil van Gogh was interned and later transferred to the House Veldwijk, a psychiatric institution in Ermelo where she was diagnosed with dementia praecox which was in those days viewed as a death sentence. She typically remained solitary, withdrawn and did not answer questions. She also often refused to eat and had to be fed. She often sat the same chair in the lounge staring blankly at her surroundings.

She passed away in 1941 after being in Ermelo for almost 4 decades . Now it is believed by some that she may not have been mentally ill but rather suffered the same fate as many sisters of well known people at that time. Though this is hard to verify at this point.

Sources

See also:

• https://www.artandobject.com/articles/uncovering-van-gogh-sisters (accessed 23 Oct 2022)
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wil_van_Gogh (accessed 23 Oct 2022)