Vincent van Gogh
Magnificent post-Impressionist genius
When you visit Arles today, you cannot avoid the references to the short time that the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh spent in this Provençal town. From every postcard stand and every t-shirt display the message is clear: Vincent was here!
Indeed he was, for just under 15 months. At the time, the acceptance from the local inhabitants was less enthusiastic than what you see today. It was they who assembled a petition to ask for his confinement to the asylum in St. Rémy. Granted, he behaved like a madman, chasing after his friend Gauguin with a razor, then cutting off his own ear and presenting it to a local prostitute. At the same time, he did have a close relationship with the family of Roulin (the postman) and later the young doctor Rey. His time in Arles ended when he voluntarily entered the mental hospital in St. Rémy.
Despite the turbulences, van Gogh's stay in Arles produced a prolific and important output of his work: 185 paintings and 125 drawings. To many, van Gogh's most important work stems from this period.
Today, his works are spread out over the world, in museums and private collections. None of which you will find in Arles. You can visit the Fondation Vincent van Gogh-Arles, a museum dedicated to the painter through tributes from other artists - David Hockney, Francis Bacon, Karel Appel and more - or have a drink at the recreated Café Terrace on the Place du Forum or buy a t-shirt, emblazoned with the gypsies caravan. But an original van Gogh you will not find.
Is Arles to blame for ignoring this great master at the time? Of course not. So did everyone else, except for people such as the postman and the doctor, and, of course, Vincent's brother Theo.
