top cx logo
cx logo
Explorearrow down
search icon
Explore
arrow down

Exhibition showcasing Van Gogh’s last works opens in Paris

The 50 paintings and 20 drawings were made during the two months leading up to his suicide when he was producing a work a day

Van Gogh spent his last two months painting in Auvers-sur-Oise, where he is buried Pic: Pack-Shot / Brastock / Everett Collection / Shutterstock / Musée d’Orsay

A new exhibition showcasing 50 paintings that Vincent Van Gogh produced during the prolific last two months of his life in Auvers-sur-Oise, Val-d'Oise, has opened at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris today (October 3).

The Dutch post-impressionist master produced 73 paintings and 33 drawings - more than one a day - during two months in the village north-west of Paris before he took his own life on July 27, 1890.

The painter is buried in the village’s municipal cemetery, beside his brother and art dealer Theo whom he had moved to be closer to as Theo lived in Paris.

The exhibition is the first to cover this period of Van Gogh’s life, and includes 50 of the paintings produced during this time as well as 20 drawings. 

Several of the works are considered to be masterpieces, such as Portrait of Dr. Gachet, The Church at Auvers, and Wheat field with crows. 

Indeed, it was in a wheat field near the village that Van Gogh put a pistol to his chest, mortally wounding himself.

Watch the Musée d’Orsay's presentation of the exhibition here:

Van Gogh is more generally associated with the south of France, where he lived for two years, in Arles.

Auvers-sur-Oise offered the Dutch master a different colour palette: deeper greens and slate greys rather than the golden light of sun-kissed Arles.

 

Maisons à Auvers-sur-Oise Pic: Vincent van Gogh(1853-1890), 1890 huile sur toile, 60 × 73 cm Toledo Museum of Art © Toledo Museum of Art

“Auvers is really beautiful – among other things many old thatched roofs, which are becoming rare,” wrote Van Gogh to his brother Theo on May 20, 1890.

‘Van Gogh à Auvers-sur-Oise: Les derniers mois’ will run in the Musée d’Orsay until February 4, 2024.

 

Related articles:

Absinthe, corkscrews, santons: 8 unusual museums to visit in France

Paris museum thwarts activist’s attempt to throw soup over painting

'Paintings from Van Gogh were not designed to float around people' 

Resident or second-home owner in France?
Benefit from our daily digest of headlines and how-to's to help you make the most of life in France
By joining the newsletter, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
See more popular articles
The Connexion Help Guides
featured helpguide
Income Tax in France 2023 (for 2022 income)*
Featured Help Guide
- Primarily aimed at Britons, covers pensions, rent, ISAs, shares, savings and interest - but also contains significant general information pertinent to readers of other nationalities - Overview of online declarations + step-by-step guide to the French printed forms - Includes updates given automatically after this year's site opened
Get news, views and information from France