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Eugene Boch (1855 - 1941) Monthyon - Paris |
 click on the image to discover the origin of Boch Ceramics |
Eugene Boch was a Belgian painter, born in Saint-Vaast, Hainaut in the 5th generation of the Boch family that makes Ceramics since 1748. His father Victor Boch operated the company Boch Frères and his uncle Eugen von Boch the company Villeroy & Boch.  |
 click on the image to discover Eugène's school Atelier Cormand  click on the image to discover Eugène's house Villa La Grimpette |
Summer 1888 in Arles
In May 1888, van Gogh rented four rooms in a small building on 2 place Lamartine in Arles, called "The Yellow House". He intended to establish an artish colony, the studio of the South.
The portrait "The Poet" (Eugene Boch) was done in september 1888 in the Yellow House in Arles, at the same time as Van Gogh did the portrait "The Lover" (Paul Eugene Milliet) and his self portrait dedicated to Paul Gaugin shortly before Gaugin arrived in Arles 21 october 1888.    a letter from Vincent van Gogh to Eugene Boch send from Arles 4 Oct 1888  more about this letter
Unlike Gaugins visit, the time Eugene spent in Arles was a beautiful one. It was also the period where Van Gogh painted the different starry colours in the night paintings. more about the night paintings from the Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam Exchange of Paintings
The exchange of Eugene´s Painting "The mine of Crachet and Pecry" given to Vincent van Gogh and Vincent van Gogh´s "The Alpilles" given to Eugene Boch has been documented by Theo van Gogh letters about the exchange of paintings The Alpilles painting, today in the New York Guggenheim Museum |
The Eugene Boch Portrait "The Poet" ... a "little" more than just a portrait by van Gogh  Van Gogh met the Belgian painter Eugène Boch in mid-June 1888, while Boch was spending a few weeks near Arles. Around 8 July, Vincent mentioned Boch in a letter to his brother Théo: "I very much like the looks of this young man with his distinctive face, like a razor blade, and his green eyes". Behind his head, instead of painting the ordinary wall of this shabby appartment, I will paint infinity, I will do a simple background of the richest blue, the most intense blue that I can create, and through this simple combination of the bright head against this rich, blue background, I will obtain a mysterious effect, like a star in the depths of an azure sky".     September 18 1888 the Eugene Boch portrait called "The Poet" was done. Van Gogh kept the painting above his bed, next to the portrait of Paul Eugene Milliet called "The Lover" as one can see in the Bedroom Painting Concerning this portrait "The Poet" or "Le peintre aux Etoiles" Eugene Boch had some nostalgic feelings about the painting ... which, some time after Vincent van Gogh´s death ... came to the ears of Johanna van Gogh Bonger, the sister in Law of Vincent van Gogh (died 29 july 1890) and also the widow of Theo van Gogh (died 25 january 1891) . 23 July 1891 she wrote to Eugene Boch: "I have heared that you would like to have the portrait, which Vincent has painted about you in Arles in 1888. It would be a pleasure for me to give it to you as a souvenir of the two brothers, as I know about the affection you had for them" When Eugene died in his house Villa La Grimpette in Monthyon 3 Jan 1941 his sister Elisa Blondel, born Boch was there ... she noted in her diary: "It was during the rough winter 1940-41. After Dec 26 1940 my brother had to stay in bed. The phonelines were cut, there was too much snow on the roads to go anywhere. There was no possibility to leave the house, or to call a doctor. When Eugene couldn´t moove or talk any more, his views were fixed on the portrait Van Gogh had painted of him. He looked at it with admiration, as if would have liked to say: "How beautiful it is and how much I would have liked to be able to paint it !" .... in other (todays) words as if they had been in Love.
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Eugene Boch´s paintings    Paintings from the Borinage    Paintings from Algeria     forest   Houses from Belgium    South of France  Portraits |
Friend´s of Eugene Boch Eugene met many of his painter friends at the Atelier Corman  The American Artist Dodge Mac Knight introduced Eugene to Vincent van Gogh in the summer of 1888    Emile Bernard was another common friend of Eugene Boch and Vincent van Gogh. Eugene had met Emile in the Atelier Cormon Painting class in Paris and in early years he sponsored his work so that he ended up owning many paintings, his sister Anna Boch one. Emile Bernard received many letters from Van Gogh and after his death of van Gogh, Emile Bernard contributed a lot to make Vincent famous by organising the first expositions of his paintings. The common friendship to Vincent van Gogh was a link for Eugene Boch and Emile and they stayed in contact all their life. Emile Bernard stayed many times in Eugene Boch´s house, La Villa La Grimpette.
 Paul Gauguin and Eugene Boch, coming soon   Henri Toulouse Lautrec and Eugene Boch, coming soon    Pauz Cezanne and Eugene Boch, coming soon Video un peu kitch ... |
Eugene Boch´s cultural heritage
In the 10 generations of the Boch family, there have always been, ... some Business People ... and some Artists.
Many times the family´s artistic potential has been used for the benefit of the company. But sometimes ... the One did not understand the Others Destiny of Eugene and Anna´s Art Collection  Eugene and Anna Boch were unconventional and non conformist which annoyed some cousins of their age around the company seat in Mettlach, Germany. After the death of their uncle Eugen von Boch contact ceased. Due to Eugene and Anna´s friendship with many artists, and their desire to sponsor artists with no money, they built up two of the most important collections of Impressionist Art of their times. When they passed away in 1936 and 1941 both collections the Eugene Boch collection and the Anna Boch collection were dissolved.
Only 25 years and 2 generations later, in the 1960s Luitwin von Boch took the initiative to save what was left from their cultural heritage.
Luitwin von Boch, 7th generation, was very charismatic. When he became CEO of Villeroy & Boch he was only 25 the company was struggeling ... Over the years, during his 40 year long presidency, he multiplied the company´s value over and over again, by more than a 100 times !  Logo designed around 1950 for Luitwin von Boch inspired the later creation of the Air France Logo
He saw the importance to maintain the almost forgotten cultural heritage of his uncle Eugene and his aunt Anna ... He hired Dr Thérèse Thomas, a young historian, to research information. In the late 1960´s he was able to buy some of Eugene´s and many of Anna´s paintings ... with the idea to make a Museum in Mettlach, Germany. Due to a complicated "viager" contract most of the paintings only arrived in 1992, 4 years after his death in 1988, so Luitwin von Boch did not have the time to realize the Museum .... It is planned to open a permanent expo in April 2011.  Apparently Eugene Boch´s collection included several Van Gogh paintings, more than what is actually known to the public: He received one painting when exchanging artworks between "painter friends", other paintings might have been given to him by Vincent as presents. Presents by affection or presence by gratitude ... In the older generations of the Boch family it was a tradition to support friends in financial needs, without ever talking about it. It would surprise the editor of this website if "uncle" Eugene had not been a discrète financial support for Vincent in between the summer 1888 until the end of his life.
with his late aunt Helen von Boch, an Artist, the family´s most talented designer and the "cash cow" of the 1970s. Amazing stories about multiple Van Gogh paintings. Was it her imagination or was it based on some details she knew from older generations ? Helen knew a lot from from history as she grew up in the design studios. Many did not understand her ... ... but if she was right ? Unfortunately the editor of the site did not listen more carefully at the time ... He always knew about 2 van Gogh paintings, "The poet" and "The Red Vineyard" but while making the website he found 2-3 more ...  Johanna van Gogh Bogner, widow of Vincent van Gogh´s brother Theo and in later years friend of Eugene Boch As already mentioned Eugene Boch received his portrait done by Vincent van Gogh as a present from Johanna van Gogh Bogner. what happened to the other paintings owned by Johanna van Gogh ?  The Art Collection was located in Eugene´s house, La Villa La Grimpette in Monthyon, France Many information on the destiny of Eugene Boch´s amazing collection is missing .... In 1914 his house La Villa La Grimpette was used as a Seat for the Etat Major of the French Army fighting against the Germans ... which might not have helped the paintings. what happened to the Villa La Grimpette ? What happened to the paintings ?  Eugene´s favorite painting however got to it´s destination, as had wanted it. In his own will he passed on the present he got from Vincent & Johanna van Gogh to the van Gogh Lovers of the World by giving it to the Louvre. As he was very discrete, very shy, too shy to promote himself. Not many people might think about him any more today ... Just like van Gogh, he never received much recognition in his lifetime .... During his long life it was his joy to notice his friend Vincent becoming famous, more and more famous, world famous. By giving the portrait to the Louvre, Vincent, that had already died back in 1890, 51 years before Eugene, and that had expressed the desire to paint Eugene as beautiful as he could, like a star in the depths of an azure sky made him become famous on his turn ... after his own death now , 70 years later, this little website might contribute a little ... |
 see also Eugene´s sister, 5th generation Anna Boch.com  see also 8th generation, Designer for Ceramics Helen von Boch.com  see also 9th generation, Photographer Michel von Boch.com  see also 9th generation, Painter Rene von Boch.com |
 This website was set up, a great great great nephew of Eugene Boch, Ben Solms, 9th generation in the von Boch family, editor of different independant internet projects like VB.com, Phonebook of the World.com, Hotels of the World.com or the Paris expo centre Cremerie de Paris.com.
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 This website Eugene Boch.com would have been impossible without the help from Dr Thérèse Thomas  and from Beatrice von Boch. Also valuable information from Isabelle Taudière (Biography Van Gogh - The Life)  |
Museums which expose Eugene Boch Paintings
or Paintings from the Eugene Boch Collection
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