The last year of Vincent van Gogh

Last week I made a quick visit to the Vincent van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. There was a small exhibition there about the last 18 months of Vincent's life.

In 1888 he went to the Provence, to Arles in the hope other painters would join him there. Only Paul Gaugain came and this was not such a good companion for Vincent. They had different ideas about art and they had a lot of rows. After one of those rows, Vincent sliced of his ear.
He was committed to a hospital, but no official diagnoses was given.

After two weeks he seemed fit enough to go home again.

Stilllife with onions. He painted this when he first got home. Januari 1889

But this was just the beginning for poor Vincent, and he headed into a downward spiral of working too hard, feeling ill and not being able to work.

In april 1899 Vincent was committed into the asylum of Saint-Remy. He stayed here almost a year, but became more and more convinced he would never be well again.

The garden of the asylum in Saint Remy. December 1889

After a year he left the asylum and moved to Auvers, near Paris. Here he shot himself almost two months later and died in July 1890. His brother Theo was with him.

I am usually on the verge of tears in this museum, and this time was no exception. I just think the story of Vincent van Gogh is so sad and I wish he could have known how much people would become to love his paintings and that he would be considered one of the best painters ever. To know he died thinking he was a failure is heartbreaking.

I loved the little exhibition, with paintings, photographs and letters and together it gave a good idea of the last year of Vincent van Gogh.

Treeroots. Last and unfinished painting by Vincent van Gogh. July 1890

It was not permitted to make photographs, so these are photographs of the postcards I bought.