A view of the garden of the asylum where I am
Garden of the Asylum
In May 1889, Van Gogh had himself admitted to the asylum of Saint-Paul de Mausole in Saint-Rémy (southern France), because he suffered from nervous attacks. He spent a year there. For the first few weeks, he could only work indoors or in the walled garden. After that, he was also allowed to work outside the grounds of the asylum. He painted the wheatfields, olive trees, cypresses and rocky landscape of the region.
Studio in the asylum
In the asylum, Van Gogh had not only a room to stay in, but also an empty room in which he could work. He drew the window of this studio in black chalk, oils and watercolours. The garden is visible through the bars of the window. We see two paintings on the wall to the left of the window, and two of his drawings to the right.
Window in the studio, 1889
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)
The asylum in a photo from the 1950s, taken by M.E. Tralbaut.
Aerial photo of the Saint-Paul asylum in Saint-Rémy; postcard from the 1960s.
Trees in front of the entrance to the asylum, 1889
Armand Hammer Art Museum, Los Angeles
A view of the garden of the asylum where I am, on the right a grey terrace, a section of house, some rosebushes that have lost their flowers; on the left, the earth of the garden - red ochre - earth burnt by the sun, covered in fallen pine twigs.
Letter to Emile Bernard, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, on or about Tuesday, 26 November 1889.
