Image at left: The Road Menders, c. November 1889, Saint-Rémy During the time Van Gogh painted The Road Menders, he was still at the hospital in Saint-Rémy, but feeling much better. In his writing to Theo telling him so, he said that he was sending off three parcels to him and let him know that [...]
Art History: Vincent Van Gogh 1889 in Saint-Rémy
Image at left: Pine Trees Against a Red Sky with Setting Sun, c. November 1889, Saint-Rémy Van Gogh seemed to be enjoying his time working outside, even though the fall mistral have arrived. The mistrals are a cold, dry wind, lasting only a few days at a time, that sweep down the Rhone valley from [...]
Art History: Vincent Van Gogh 1889 Saint-Rémy
Image at left: Portrait of Superintendant Trabuc in St. Paul’s Hospital, c. September 1889 In his letters to Theo, Vincent complained often of the lack of treatment they, he and the other patients, were receiving at the hospital. But even so, he had the head warder, Superintendant Trabuc, sit for him so that he could [...]
Art History: Vincent Van Gogh 1889 Saint-Rémy
Image at left: Self-Portrait, c. September 1889 Vincent Van Gogh was no stranger to the self-portrait and his time spent in Saint-Rémy did not stop his study of his own reflection. About this one he wrote to his brother Theo: Altogether I should rather have a downright illness like this than to be as I [...]
Art History: Vincent Van Gogh 1889 in Saint-Rémy
Image at left: Starry Night, Saint-Rémy, June 1889 Starry Night is one of Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous paintings. This is one of two paintings by him that he called Starry Night. It was painted from memory while he was a resident at Saint-Paul’s in Saint-Rémy. Vincent wrote to Theo on June 18, 1889: Finally, [...]
Art History: Vincent Van Gogh 1889 in Saint-Rémy
Image at left: Irises, Saint-Remy, c.1889 During Van Gogh’s year-long stay at the St.-Paul-de-Mausole asylum/hospital in Saint-Rémy, he had two rooms – one for sleeping and one to use as his painting studio. On good days, Van Gogh still took his colors, brushes, and canvas outside to work and to paint the life around the [...]
Art History: Vincent Van Gogh 1888 Arles
Image at left: The Yellow House, c. September 1888, Place Lamartine 2, Arles In his letters written at the time he lived in Arles, Van Gogh was wondering if he should move down to Marseille or stay in Arles. He asks Theo what he thinks in one of his letters and then within a few [...]
Montmartre: Aristide Bruant and Le Mirliton
Almost immediately after the the Chat Noir moved out of 84 boulevard de Rochechouart, Aristide Bruant and his cafe, Le Mirliton, moved in. The opening of the cafe happened to be at about the same time that Toulouse-Lautrec moved to Montmartre and while Toulouse-Lautrec knew a lot of people who hung out at the Chat [...]
Montmartre: Chat Noir c.1881-1897
Cafes and cabarets came and went on Montmartre. At the end of the 19th-century, Chat Noir was a phenomenon among the artists of Montmartre between the years of 1881 when Rudolphe Salis opened its doors until 1897, when the bar closed. A good cafe is usually owned and managed by a character of sorts, especially [...]
Art History: Vincent Van Gogh 1886/1887 Paris
Agostino Segatori Sitting in the Cafe du Tambourin, February/March 1887
