Explore Auvers-sur-Oise: Vincent van Gogh’s Artistic Legacy

Genteel, peaceful Auvers-sur-Oise, just 34 kilometers from Paris, already had pedigree as an artists’ village when Vincent van Gogh arrived in the spring of 1890. However, during his short, intense stay, the Dutch master painted 80 works in 70 days — a frenzy of productivity that culminated in his death from a gunshot wound in his tiny room at the main street’s auberge (inn).

As a new multimedia exhibition on Impressionism opens at the Château d’Auvers-sur-Oise, we retrace the final days of this tortured genius through this quiet yet now infamous commune.

Vincent van Gogh was not the first artist to discover the rural charms of Auvers. In the mid-1800s, the railway opened up the Oise valley to Paris’ thriving artistic milieu. Less than an hour from the metropolis, the rolling fields, picturesque river, and rugged farming folk provided Impressionist painters with their preferred subject matter: landscapes and life outdoors.

This impressive artistic heritage is celebrated at the newly reopened Château d’Auvers-sur-Oise. Along with the town’s more understated attractions, it paints a fascinating portrait of a time when this little village was at the epicenter of art innovation, and a troubled, unknown artist was creating canvasses that would eventually be beloved by critics.

‘Auvers is seriously beautiful’

Or ‘gravement beau’, as Vincent would write to his brother Theo soon after arriving. He was fresh from a turbulent stay in Provence, which had ended with a year-long stint in a mental health institution, and Theo had organized for a local Auvers doctor, Paul Gachet, to oversee the troubled artist so he could retain his equilibrium and paint.

At first, the village’s bucolic charm, its thatched-roof cottages, and setting on the beautiful Oise River proved inspirational. Ambitious to render all he saw in his vivid terms — the countryside, its natural light, the local people — Vincent became a familiar figure in the town, roaming all over. He would start out every morning with his palette and oils, working in all conditions — rain, heat, night.

Today, you can follow in his footsteps and literally see what he saw. Dotted around the town’s lanes are panels that reproduce the works Van Gogh painted in front of the scenes they depict. The tourist office map serves as a self-guided treasure hunt, allowing visitors to explore the town’s winding paths, seeking out these small shrines. A reproduction of Van Gogh’s painting Church at Auvers stands in front of the gothic cream-bricked chapel, offering a breathtaking understanding of the artist’s vision — the strange beauty he captured.

Van Gogh’s Last Days

That beauty had its dark side. Contemporary photos of the Bastille Day celebrations at the Auvers-sur-Oise town hall in 1890 show costumed locals, music, and merriment; Vincent’s painted version portrays a sad, deflated after-party. The peaceful, pretty fields just outside town seem another world from his melancholic depiction, often overshadowed by a troubled, crow-filled sky.

One Sunday night in July 1890, the artist returned to his room at the auberge with a bullet lodged in his chest. He claimed it was self-inflicted earlier that afternoon, although there are several theories surrounding the circumstances. The Ravoux family who owned the inn called for Dr. Gachet and wired Theo in Paris. Vincent died in the early hours of Tuesday morning with his brother by his bedside.

Auberge Ravoux has been lovingly restored; the dining room with its wood paneling and zinc counter reflects the late 19th-century style when Van Gogh dined here. After his death, his room at the top of the stairs was never rented out again. Visitors can see it today: at seven square meters, with a tiny skylight and cracked walls, its monastic air contributes to the sense of sadness.

The Impressionist Legacy

‘The Impressionist Vision’ is a new multimedia exhibition housed in the stately Château d’Auvers-sur-Oise, illustrating Van Gogh in a post-Impressionist context. It’s remarkable to acknowledge that in a world where Monet’s Water Lilies are commonplace and Cezanne’s paintings fetch hundreds of millions of dollars at auction, Impressionism was once shunned by the art world.

With dynamic full-room projections, floating video screens, and a geo-located headset narrative, this exhibition recounts how a group of renegade artists revolutionized painting and taught us a new way to see. It also provides a sensory immersion into the works themselves — standing inside an Impressionist painting has never been more tangible.

Back in Time

Auvers’ small museums and historical sites layer this grand narrative with vivid personal touches. The Maison Atelier Daubigny, the former home of Auvers’ original great artist, Charles-François Daubigny, offers insight into pre-Impressionism. Inside, its walls are adorned with charming murals, providing a back-in-time experience into how artists lived.

Vincent was a frequent guest at the residence of his friend Dr. Gachet, painting numerous works in the garden and portraits of the doctor. Gachet was a fascinating character, an art lover and early supporter of the Impressionists, who also had a keen interest in the diagnosis and treatment of nervous illnesses.

At the time, absinthe was a favored drink among the Paris bohemian set. For his part, Vincent swore off drinking during his days in Auvers after his earlier breakdown in Provence. However, the town’s Musée d’Absinthe details the drink’s journey from a symbol of party life in the Belle Époque to its association with madness, showcased through vintage advertisements, cartoons, and artworks. Visitors can sample this now-legal drink in the traditional manner at the museum’s charming courtyard.

A Little Cemetery Outside Auvers

Auvers-sur-Oise’s fate changed forever with the violent death of the strange foreign painter in the summer of 1890. The incident received little attention in local papers, as Van Gogh was still largely unknown. However, his first solo show in Paris in 1901 would change that narrative entirely, as his genius and tragic story soon became legend.

His humble resting place in a small cemetery just beyond the town marks a poignant pilgrimage. His simple headstone is side by side with that of his brother Theo, who died just six months later. Ivy weaves a blanket over both graves, binding them together in this serene graveyard surrounded by the fields that Vincent had so passionately brought to life during his final weeks.