The Letters of Vincent van Gogh

In 1881, Van Gogh moved back into the home of his parents. Relations with his father continued to deteriorate, and he became increasingly reliant on his relationships with other artists, including Anton Mauve (a cousin through marriage) and Théophile de Bock. 

That summer of 1881, Kee Vos, a widowed cousin, came to visit Van Gogh’s parents and Van Gogh became deeply infatuated with her. Although Kee rejected him in the strongest terms possible, Van Gogh’s letters to Theo reveal that he did not fully accept this rejection, and was convinced that if he continued pursuing her, they would eventually be together. He chafed at family members, especially of the older generation, who scorned him for his obsessive behavior towards Kee.

Ultimately, the Kee Vos affair led to an estrangement with his parents. Van Gogh left Etten and moved in with Mauve in The Hague, where he would begin receiving painting lessons from his cousin. Unable to repress his infatuation, however, he showed up unexpectedly at Kee’s home in Amsterdam, and was dismayed to learn from her parents that she had left as soon as she knew he was at the house. After this embarrassing incident, he gave up hope for a life with Kee, and he gave up religion.