Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Yellow House Easel:
Vincent arrived in Arles on February 20, 1888, to a
footofsnow.HerentedasmallhouseonthenorthsideofPlaceLamartine.Thehousewas
destroyed in 1944 by an errant bridge-seeking bomb, but the four-story building behind
it—where you see the brasserie—still stands (find it in the painting). The house had four
rooms, including a small studio and the cramped trapezoid-shaped bedroom made fam-
ous in paintings. It was painted yellow inside and out, and Vincent named it...“The Yellow
House.” In the distance, the painting shows the same bridges you see today, as well as a
steam train—which was a rather recent invention in France, allowing people like Vincent
totravelgreaterdistancesandbejarredbynewexperiences.(Today'sTGVsystemcontin-
ues that trend.)
FreezingArleswasbuttoneduptightwhenVincentarrived,sohewasforcedtowork
inside, where he painted still lifes and self-portraits—anything to keep his brush moving.
In late March, spring finally arrived. In those days, a short walk from Place Lamartine
led to open fields. Donning his straw hat, Vincent set up his easel outdoors and painted
quickly, capturing what he saw and felt—the blossoming fruit trees, gnarled olive trees,
peasants sowing and reaping, jagged peaks, and windblown fields, all lit by a brilliant sun
that drove him to use ever-brighter paints.
