Posts Tagged ‘Vincent Van Gogh’

A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part IX

Saturday, April 21st, 2012
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Entrance to the House of Doctor Gachet

Entrance to the House of Doctor Gachet
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

We left the Absinthe Museum and trekked across town to see the house of Doctor Gachet. I have always wondered what significance this mysterious doctor had in the story of Van Gogh. I wasn’t quite satisfied with what I learned during the trip, so after I got back to Paris, I did some research on the Internet. Here are the details as I understand them:

Van Gogh had always been a somewhat irascible man, but his emotional state deteriorated dramatically when he was in the town of Arles with painter Paul Gauguin. In a fit of anger following a dispute with Gauguin, Van Gogh cut off his own ear and presented it to a prostitute. He almost bled to death. (A fascinating account of Van Gogh’s ear can be found here.)

Following this incident, Van Gogh was committed to a mental institution in the town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. During his stay, he experienced hallucinations and seizures. (An excellent paper on the probable causes of the affliction that tormented Van Gogh can be found here. The paper also refutes the notion that the artist only sold one of his works during his lifetime.)

Van Gogh stayed in Saint-Rémy for about a year, until his brother Theo helped him moved to Auvers-sur-Oise. In Auvers, he would live independently but be under the discreet care of a medical doctor who treated nervous disorders. That doctor was Doctor Gachet.

Portrait of Dr Gachet by Vincent Van Gogh

Portrait of Dr Gachet by Vincent Van Gogh

Docteur Gachet was not only a physician, but also an art collector and amateur artist. He felt affinity for Van Gogh and tried to help him. Van Gogh, however, had doubts about Gachet’s ability to help and he wrote to his brother Théo to say that the doctor was “sicker than I am, I think, or shall we say just as much . . . .”

The famous portrait that Van Gogh painted of Gachet attests to the good doctor’s melancholic state of mind, as Van Gogh perceived it.

Today, the house of Doctor Gachet is owned by the Conseil Général du Val-d’Oise, a governmental agency. In the spirit of Doctor Gachet’s passion for art, the house is used to exhibit paintings of young artists.

Entrance Hallway of the House of Doctor Gachet

Entrance Hallway of the House of Doctor Gachet
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Following our tour of the house and gardens, we returned to Paris. It had been a wonderful day walking in the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh!

Coming next week: A day at the races!

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A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part VII

Thursday, April 19th, 2012
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After lunch at Auberge Ravaux, we assembled for a tour of the village. This was led by Anne-Claire, a Dutch woman, who took us from point to point to show us where Van Gogh had painted many of his pictures of the town. During the tour, she taught us the Dutch pronunciation of Van Gogh’s name.

To pronounce “Gogh” correctly, one makes a sound similar to the clearing of the throat. Say “Gaugh,” where the “augh” is pronounced deep in the throat. “Gaugh” rhymes with “cough,” except that it does not finish with the “f” sound. If you can say “cough” without the “f,” and you will be able to say “Gaugh.” A little practice and you will get it!

Anne-Claire in front of Statue of Van Gogh by Ossip Zadkine

Anne-Claire in front of Statue of Van Gogh by Ossip Zadkine
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Anne-Claire stopped in a park in front of a statue of Van Gogh by Ossip Zadkine. After a brief presentation she asked the men to break off from the group while she took the women behind the statue. There, they performed some kind of ritual known only to women and came back smiling. We, the men, were perplexed, but said nothing.

During the tour, Anne-Claire recounted the tormented life of Van Gogh. He was difficult to get along with; he failed at many things that he tried; he suffered severe mental and health problems; he lived in extreme poverty; he sold only one of his paintings and couldn’t give the others away; he finally shot himself out of despair. He couldn’t even commit suicide properly and took two agonizing days to die. But out of this torment came the stunning works of art that the world admires today.

Behind the Village Church

Behind the Village Church
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

The Church at Auvers-sur-Oise

The Church at Auvers-sur-Oise
Musée d'Orsay in Paris

We went behind the village church, the subject of one of the most famous of Van Gogh’s paintings. Van Gogh incongruously included the figure of a woman wearing a Dutch bonnet in the painting.

Vincent and Théodore's Graves

Vincent and Théodore's Graves
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Anne-Claire took us along a muddy path to the village cemetery to view the graves of Van Gogh and his brother Théodore. The two were very close, and the younger Théodore supported the older Vincent, sending him a check for 150 francs every month. The voluminous written correspondence between the brothers has been preserved, giving art historians a look at the intimate details of Van Gogh’s life.

Tomorrow: a visit to the Absinthe Museum

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A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part V

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012
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Chambre Van Gogh - Photo Courtesy of Maison de Van Gogh

Van Gogh's Room
Photo courtesy of Maison de Van Gogh

We made our way from the tourist office to Auberge Ravoux, the inn where Vincent Van Gogh stayed from May 20, 1890 to July 29 of the same year. Every morning he would arise and go out to paint some aspect of the town. This simple room was classified an historical monument in 1985.

From Van Gogh’s room, we walked into a screening room where we watched an excellent documentary about Van Gogh and his life in Auvers-sur-Oise in those few days that he lived there.

View of Auberge Ravaux Restaurant from Back Door

View of Auberge Ravaux Restaurant from the Back Door
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

After the short presentation we proceeded to the courtyard of the auberge to wait to be called for lunch. On our way out we passed by the back door of the utterly charming restaurant. We had been told that due to the size of our group we wouldn’t eat there, but rather in the adjoining annex. A big disappointment!

Tesselated Pattern of Floor Tiles

Tesselated Pattern of Floor Tiles
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Stopping in the hallway on our way out to the courtyard, we admired the superb tessellated pattern of the floor tiles.

Tomorrow: The joy of dining in the Auberge Ravaux restaurant.

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A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part IV

Monday, April 16th, 2012
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L'escalier à Auvers

L'escalier à Auvers
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

L'escalier à Auvers avec cinq personnes

L'escalier à Auvers avec cinq personnes
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Close-up of Panel

Close-up of Panel
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Just outside the entrance to the courtyard of the tourist office lies a stairway winding up a steep hill. I took a picture and then immediately discovered that Van Gogh had gotten there first&#8212standing nearby was a panel with a reproduction of Van Gogh’s L’escalier d’Auvers (avec cinq personnages). His rendition of the stairway makes it look more colorful and more lively than my photograph, don’t you think?

Kids in Courtyard

Kids in Courtyard
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Stepping into the courtyard, I saw about three dozen kids running around, wildly enjoying themselves. (By the time that I took this picture they had calmed down.) I later realized that they had come here for an art lesson.

Little Girl Donning a Painter's Smock

Little Girl Donning a Painter's Smock
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Watercolor Painted by Little Kids

Watercolor Painted by the Children
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

The kids went into the back courtyard where tables were set up with artists’ supplies. They donned smocks and set to work painting. The photo shows one of their efforts. After they finished, they left the courtyard and another group of kids entered. It must have been a great experience for them!

Inside the Tourist Office

Inside the Tourist Office
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

We went into the tourist office to arrange for a tour of the inn where Van Gogh lived. There were lots of books about him on the table there.

Bottles of Fruit Juice

Bottles of Fruit Juice
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

I spotted bottles of fruit juice for sale: apple, pear, strawberry, raspberry. I wanted to return to buy a couple of bottles, but alas! we never returned to the office.

Tomorrow: Our tour of the auberge.

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A Day Trip to Auvers-sur-Oise with PAN – Part I

Friday, April 13th, 2012
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Auvers-sur-Oise Train Station

Auvers-sur-Oise Train Station
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Wendesday morning found me on a train with a group of adventuresome travelers, all members of a club called Paris Alumnae/i Network. Member Patti Ravenscroft had organized a day trip to Auvers-sur-Oise to follow in the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh, a Dutch post-Impressionist artist who spent the last days of his life there.

Gare du Nord

Gare du Nord
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Navigating walkways, turnstiles, and stairways to get to the appropriate platform at the Gare du Nord in Paris can be a challenge if one is not familiar with the station. That was my case, so I arrived forty-five minutes before scheduled departure.

Direction Panel at Gare du Nord

Direction Panel at Gare du Nord
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

There are several departure points in the station, including Grandes Lignes, RER, Métro, and Réseau Ile-de-France. I first entered the Grandes Lignes section, but when the yellow ticket machine there refused to deliver a ticket for Auvers-sur-Oise, I realized that I was in the wrong area.

Ticket Machine for Ile-de-France Trains

Ticket Machine for Ile-de-France Trains
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

That’s better! The green ticket machine meant that I was in the Réseau Ile-de-France area. I purchased a round-trip ticket and set off to find the train.

Departure Panel at Gare du Nord

Departure Panel at Gare du Nord
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

Confusion reigns! The departure panel did not give the platform number from which the train would leave. That isn’t posted until 20 minutes before departure.

Map of Regional Network

Map of Regional Network
Photo by www.DiscoverParis.net

To add to the confusion, the train wasn’t direct. It would go to Persan Beaumont, at which point we would change to another train. Patti had told us this, but unless one pays attention to the route, one can easily get on the wrong train.

The members of the group began assembling in front of the departure panel (there were thirteen of us), and when the platform number was displayed we boarded the train bound for Persan Beaumont. We were on our way!

Tomorrow: What to do if you miss the connecting train.

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