Artistic Talent Programme ‘De Nieuwe Vincenten’

23 February 2026 | | |

60 talented young artists from Brabant are following in Van Gogh’s footsteps

On Sunday 15 March 2026, sixty young people from Brabant taking part in the ‘De Nieuwe Vincenten’ programme will visit the Noordbrabants Museum in ’s-Hertogenbosch. During this inspiring day, they will follow in the footsteps of the world-famous painter, who is a major source of inspiration for their artistic development. It is the only museum in the southern Netherlands where original works of art by Vincent van Gogh can be admired.

It promises to be a special programme at the Noordbrabants Museum. The young Brabant-based drawing talents from the Van Gogh sites in Tilburg, Zundert, Nuenen and Etten-Leur will be meeting for the second time since the launch of ‘De Nieuwe Vincent’. In November 2025, they visited the Paleis-Raadhuis in Tilburg, where the 13-year-old Vincent received his first drawing lessons. In Den Bosch, they will see the masterpieces that the adult Van Gogh created in Nuenen and the surrounding area.

Faces of Brabant

The afternoon at the Noordbrabants Museum is entirely dedicated to growth and inspiration for the young people taking part in ‘De Nieuwe Vincenten’. Through workshops and a guided tour, they will discover how Van Gogh observed, worked and used colour, and how they can incorporate these insights into their own development. In the Van Gogh Gallery, participants will have ample opportunity to study his paintings at close quarters. Particular attention will be paid to *Head of a Woman (Gordina de Groot)* from 1885, a work Van Gogh created in the period immediately preceding *The Potato Eaters*. Thanks to a special fundraising campaign, the museum was able to add this portrait to its permanent collection. For the young artists, it is impressive to see how Van Gogh captured the so-called ‘Brabant faces’: powerful, angular faces full of character, shaped by the harsh realities of daily life. This intense way of observing and painting offers the talented young artists new insights for their own work, and allows them to experience how Van Gogh’s view of the people from his native region continues to inspire.

Brabant-wide drawing talent programme

‘De Nieuwe Vincenten’ is a collaborative programme run by the four Van Gogh sites in Zundert, Tilburg, Etten-Leur and Nuenen. Through the talent programme, children aged 10 to 14 are given the opportunity to further develop their drawing skills, discover their own artistic style and build a portfolio. Tilburg City Museum coordinates the programme in collaboration with Kunstpodium T, Factorium Cultuurmakers, the Vincent van Gogh House in Zundert, De Nobelaer in Etten-Leur and the Van Gogh Village Museum in Nuenen. A major source of inspiration for the talent programme is Vincent van Gogh, who lived and/or worked in all the participating towns. The Noordbrabants Museum is an integral part of the drawing talent programme and is delighted to open its doors to young drawing talents.

Talented Vincents

In April 2026, we will conclude the talent programme and the ‘New Vincents’ will present the work they have created over the past few months. Each Van Gogh venue will showcase the work of its own group of fifteen young artists. Unlike in previous editions, there will be no award ceremony this year to recognise the ‘best’ Vincent. The programme is not about competition, but about giving children and young people the opportunity to explore themselves and their talents. In doing so, they have learnt about Van Gogh’s story in Brabant and the organisations involved in it.