World-class art in Provence

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) 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).

Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) was born and died in Aix-en-Provence. A so-called ‘Post-Impressionist’ painter, he is credited with laying the foundations of modern art by bridging the gap between the 19th-century Impressionists and the later works of Cubist painters like Picasso. His style was highly unique and distinctive, using planes of colour and small brushstrokes to create complex paintings on natural forms that inspired both Matisse and Picasso.

One of his favourite landscapes to paint was the Montagne Sainte-Victorie Mountain, which overlooks Aix. He created a now world-famous series, exhibited in different art museums around the world. See a catalogue of his most famous works on Wikipedia.