Last updated: 09 March, 2024
Vincent Van Gogh moved to Provence in 1888, during a time of ill health. He fell in love with the landscape and the rich light, and decided to stay and try to set up an artists’ colony.
Initially, he settled in Arles, where he created over 300 paintings and drawings, some of his best-known works – including the famous Sunflowers paintings (now held in the Neue Pinakothek in Munich, National Gallery in London, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Sompo Japan Museum of Art in Tokyo).
The following year however, in 1889, after a bout of poor mental health, Van Gogh committed himself to the St-Paul-de-Mausole asylum just outside Saint-Remy. There he painted more of his masterpieces, including The Starry Night, now displayed in New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
As prime spots where Van Gogh lived and painted, the towns of Arles and Saint-Remy both regret not hanging on to any of Van Gogh’s original works while he was alive. To make up for it, each has set up a self-guided Van Gogh Walk, pinpointing the scenic spots where the master planted his easel.
