During his time in Nuenen, Vincent went to Eindhoven and Tongelre frequently. He made contact with a number of people and produced several works. The drawing was made from the back of Antoon Hermans' house on the Keizersgracht.
The St. Catherine Church is a neo-Gothic basilica in the shape of a cross, with two towers. It was designed by Pierre Cuypers. The appeal and beauty of the church, which had just been completed at the time, would certainly have been noticed by everybody. The original drawing is now in the care of the Van Gogh Museum.
