Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
hues of the most intense violets, blues, and greens. If only you pay attention to it, you will
seethatcertainstarsarelemon-yellow,otherspinkoragreen,blue,andforget-me-notbril-
liance.” Vincent painted this scene on his last night in Arles. Come back at night to match
his painting with today's scene.
• Turn around and walk through the small park, then go into town between the stumpy
stone towers along
Rue de la Cavalerie,
which becomes Rue Voltaire.
Van Gogh walked into town the same way. Arles' 19th-century red light district was
just east of Rue de la Cavalerie, and the far-from-home Dutchman spent many lonely
nightsinitsbarsandbrothels.Thestreetretainsacertainlocalcolor—dropintothedown-
and-dirty café at Hôtel de Paris for a taste.
• Keep straight through Place Voltaire, continue walking up Rue Voltaire to the Roman
Arena
,
and then find the easel at the top of the arena steps, to the right.
Arena Easel:
All summer long, fueled by sun and alcohol, Vincent painted the
town. He loved the bullfights in the arena and sketched the colorful surge of the crowds,
spending more time studying the people than watching the bullfights (notice how the bull
is barely visible). Vincent had little interest in Arles' antiquity—it was people and nature
that fascinated him.
•Walkclockwisearoundthearena,thenupthecobbledlanenexttoL'AndaluzRestaurant.
Keep left in the parking lot to find a viewpoint.
Alpilles Mountains View:
This view (no easel) pretty much matches what Vin-
cent wouldhaveseen (beherelate inthedayforthebest light). Vincent wasanavidwalk-
er. Imagine him hauling his easel into those fields under intense sun, leaning against a fe-
rocious wind, struggling to keep his hat on. He did this about 50 times during his stay in
Arles,justtopaintthefarmworkers.Vincentveneratedbutdidnotglorifypeasants.Want-
ing to show their lives and their struggles, he reproached Renoir and Monet for elevating
them in their works.
Vincent carried his easel as far as the medieval abbey of Montmajour, that bulky
structure three miles straight ahead on the hill. The St. Paul Hospital, where he was even-
tuallytreated inSt-Rémy,isontheothersideoftheAlpilles mountains,severalmilesbey-
ond Montmajour. On a clear day, you can make out the hill town of Les Baux at about two
o'clock (with Montmajour at high noon).
• Continue along the upper end of the arena, turn left before the Classical Theater, and
walk out Rue de Porte de Laure. Just after the street turns left, go right, down the curved
staircase into the park and find the easel on the second path to the right.
Jardin d'Eté Easel:
Vincent spent many a sunny day painting the leafy Jardin
d'Eté. In another letter to his sister, Vincent wrote, “I don't know whether you can under-
