Yesterday was all about Claude Monet. Today is all about another great painter, Vincent van Gogh. This morning we docked at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, just fifteen miles from Paris. Van Gogh spent the final months of his life living in a quiet little town near here called Auvers-sur-Oise. Today we’re going to visit Auvers-sur-Oise and get better acquainted with the life of Vincent van Gogh.
We arrived early this morning at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine. “Conflans” means “confluence.” In this case, it’s the confluence of the Seine and Oise rivers. If you do crosswords, you’ve probably seen a clue for a 4-letter word that says something like “Seine tributary.” The answer is usually “Oise.” It flows into the Seine right here.
After a short bus ride, we arrived with a guide at Auvers-sur-Oise. This was a good day to be with a guide, because he seemed to know just about everything about Vincent van Gogh.
The Early Days
Vincent was born and raised in the Netherlands, but things were rough at home, so he was out on his own at an early age. He went from job to job and from town to town. Vincent was a loner, difficult to be friends with. His only close relationship was with his brother, Theo.
Theo and Vincent corresponded by mail constantly. They both liked art, and Theo worked in an art gallery. Vincent had a talent for drawing, and after years of persuading by Theo, he tried his hand at painting.
Vincent eventually moved to Paris, where Theo had established himself as an art dealer. This was the Paris of the 1880’s, and the painting scene was hot. Vincent’s paintings were different. Some well-known artists in Paris thought Vincent had something special. Others weren’t so sure.
Arles
Whenever Vincent stayed in one place for too long, he got restless. In Paris, his behavior started to become erratic, so he decided to move south to Arles. It was peaceful there. Vincent painted a lot. Life in Arles seemed to be good for him, but as always, he started getting twitchy.
Paul Gaugin came from Paris for an extended stay. Vincent was happy to have the company. His health seemed to improve. But after a few weeks, Vincent’s behavior started to get erratic again. Then one night, from out of nowhere, he came at Gaugin with a straight razor. Gaugin got away unscathed, and left Arles immediately. Later that night, Vincent cut off part of his own ear.
After the incident, Vincent spent months in a hospital. He seemed to be just fine when he was released. He painted everything in sight. But then, all of a sudden, he had a severe attack that included hallucinations. Back into the hospital he went.
Vincent checked himself into an asylum operated by nuns. The controlled conditions seemed to be good for him. He painted a lot, and his painting was the best it had ever been. Then he had another really bad attack.
It’s a sad story, eh? Vincent had a serious condition for which there was no known cure. In between attacks he seemed to be fine, or at least as fine as one can be, knowing that the next attack might come at any time.
Auvers-sur-Oise
Vincent’s painting kept improving. In Paris, his paintings started to sell. Vincent moved to Auvers-sur-Oise to be closer to Theo, and to be treated by a “Dr. Gachet,” an amateur painter himself. Dr. Gachet was a bit “off” too, which was fine with Vincent. They got along well. Vincent’s health improved again. He painted every day, including a portrait of Dr Gachet.
Auvers was a farming community, surrounded by fields that became one of Vincent’s favorite places to spend time. He wrote to Theo that they represented his “sadness and extreme loneliness”, and that the “canvases will tell you what I cannot say in words.”
We followed our guide through the streets of Auvers, walking where Vincent walked. Markers show where Vincent painted scenes well-known to van Gogh fans. We went into the building where Vincent stayed, and walked up the stairs to see his nearly barren room. We could almost feel his melancholy in that tiny space.
Peace at Last
Vincent’s health seemed so much better in Auvers, he thought the attacks might be a thing of the past. But after two months, the erratic behavior started again. Now it really seemed to be getting worse.
Then, on one of those peaceful days spent out in the fields, Vincent shot himself in the stomach with a revolver. He died 29 hours later. The common belief is that he committed suicide, but our guide wasn’t so sure. In fact, lot of people aren’t so sure. (See note below).
We walked out of town on a dirt road, out into the fields where Vincent liked to paint. There’s a cemetery there where Vincent and Theo lie today, side by side.
As everyone knows, the popularity of Vincent’s work eventually skyrocketed. In 1990, “Portrait of Dr. Gachet” sold for $82.5 million. I doubt that Vincent would have cared one way or another. He just wanted to paint.
To be continued…
Notes
The featured image at the top of the post is “Wheat Field with Cypresses.”
Vincent va Gogh Gallery is a great site to learn more.
The authors of “Van Gogh: The Life“, Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith don’t believe the suicide narrative.
