Andries Bonger

Who was Andries Bonger?

Andries Bonger, nicknamed "Dries", was Johanna van Gogh-Bonger's favorite brother. Bonger was a friend of his future brother-in-law Theo van Gogh in Paris. It was through Andries that Johanna and Theo met. He also knew Vincent van Gogh who called him André in letters.

Johan Cohen Gosschalk, Johanna Bonger, 1905

Theo van Gogh in 1888

Vincent van Gogh, self-portrait in 1887

In a letter that Bonger wrote to his parents on March 31, 1885, he describes [Theo] van Gogh as having received unexpected news the prior week that his father had died due to a "stroke of apoplexy" after having received a letter the previous day that he was in perfect health. He mentioned that Van Gogh was not very strong, and so this was a very melancholy circumstance. In several letters over the remainder of the year, Bonger comments on a growing appreciation for and friendship with Theo.

Vincent van Gogh arrived in Paris in 1886 which meant that Bonger saw less of Theo. Bonger expressed his concern that Vincent van Gogh was harsh with his brother Theo, who had begun to look haggard. Theo met Bonger's parents during a visit to the Netherlands about August, 1886.