Ode to Johanna van Gogh-Bonger | Ode to Jo (7)

The paintings of Vincent van Gogh. When I close my eyes, I see the almond blossom, the sunflowers, the bedroom. The colors burst from them. Indelible images..

Another eraseable image.

On a rainy evening, we gather with a diverse group of women from our Amsterdam women's alliance in a community center in Southeast. We blow off steam and drink soto soup together, as the day was long and busy again.

We listen to the story of Jo van Gogh-Bonger, who, as a young widow with a small child, remained in Paris. She was responsible for the entire collection of paintings and drawings by Vincent. The work was still not known and not loved by art experts at that time. She returned to the Netherlands and opened a guesthouse to support herself. This was very remarkable for that time. She published the letters of Vincent to Theo, brought the work to the attention of a larger audience, and approached it cleverly. Jo, the founding mother of the Van Gogh Museum, a gem of the city of Amsterdam.

Or do we want to pay attention to her in the festival year of 750 years of Amsterdam, which coincidentally coincides with the 100th anniversary of Jo's death? 

Why didn’t we know earlier that it was Jo who made Vincent van Gogh’s work famous? How often are women's stories not heard? Why is the strength of women not appreciated? Our work as women is also invisible, but indispensable. A sense of determination rises within us.

"I am also Jo," Haidy shouts. We all shout in unison, "We are all Jo!"

A unique collaboration has emerged between the various women's organizations and the Van Gogh Museum.

Now we share the story of Jo with all the different women in Amsterdam. Her story inspires us to also search for our own story and to share it with a larger audience and take the stage.

I am Jo.