The Life and Family of Vincent The story of Vincent Willem van Gogh begins in Groot-Zundert, North Brabant, in the Netherlands. He arrived into the world on 30 March 1853, born to Anna Cornelia Carbentus and Theodorus van Gogh. His father served as a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, a vocation that shaped the household into one of faith and structure. Vincent was the oldest surviving child of the couple, growing up in a family w…