Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Inthespringof1889,thebipolargenius(amoderndiagnosis)admittedhimselftothe
St. Paul Monastery and Hospital in St-Rémy-de-Provence, where he spent a year, thriving
in the care of nurturing doctors and nuns. Painting was part of his therapy, so they gave
him a studio to work in, and he produced more than 100 paintings. Alcohol-free and insti-
tutionalized,hedidsomeofhiswildestwork.Withthick,swirlingbrushstrokesandsurreal
colors,hemadehisplacidsurroundingsthrobwithrestlessenergy.Today,atthehospitalin
St-Rémy, you can see a replica of his room and his studio, plus many scenes like these he
painted
in situ
in Arles—the courtyard, the plane trees, the view out the upstairs window
of nearby fields, and the rugged Alpilles mountains.
In the spring of 1890, Vincent left Provence to be cared for by a sympathetic doctor
in Auvers-sur-Oise, north of Paris. On July 27, he wandered into a field and shot himself.
He died two days later.
