That is what the people of Arles, France called poor Vincent Van Gogh. Van Gogh who was born in The Netherlands in 1853, and ended up down in Provence (France), in the town of Arles, mainly for his health, but also in hopes of starting an artist colony. Van Gogh suffered from many things: Temporal lobe epilepsy, episodes of depression, alcoholism , delusions and gonorrhea. Despite the fact that his art is so prized today, he only sold one painting during his lifetime. Dying of suicide in 1890 (gunshot to the chest). Although, recently that has been disputed....as to whether it was self inflicted.
Roman Arena Arles.
There are signs or easels all over Arles depicting his paintings. .
This one showing the crowd at the bull fights...which the arena is used for today, and was then.
On Place de Forum there is a cafe, now named Vincent Van Gogh, where he painted his cafe terrace picture.Van Gogh lived right on the river, in what he called yellow house. Paul Gauguin lived there with him for awhile and was his mentor. They often painted the same person or scene. The paintings coming out similar,at the same time very different. Van Gogh's house was destroyed in World War II and never rebuilt.
The cafe terrace today
and when Van Gogh painted it.
After a fight with Gauguin, a seizure or a drunken stupor Van Gogh supposedly pulled a razor and ended up in this hospital, across the plaza from the cafe, missing an ear. He said he didn't remember what happened. Others said he cut it off himself....Who knows?
He painted many paintings while in the hospital, including the courtyard.
He later ended up in a mental hospital in St. Remy, also in Provence.
There was another easel down by the Rhone River, where our ship was docked.
Such a sad, and aggravated life this talented young man lived.
You made an excellent post about Van Gogh! We had a television serie last year on television by a dutch wellknow artist Jeroen Krabbe who followed his footsteps and life from the Netherlands through France. I have been in Arles too, nice place.
ReplyDeletewow. so famous after death but lived a tortured life.
ReplyDeleteSuch a sad life. Glad you had such a wonderful trip, and I thank you for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteHis was a strange life, but such talent.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting, Janie. I liked the juxtaposition of the scenes with the art. So now you're traveling - have lots of fun! We're in UT tonight on our way home from our CA beach vacation.
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