Art World
See Some of the Last Paintings Van Gogh Ever Made
A new show at the Musée d’Orsay brings together works made during his final months.
by
Annikka Olsen
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Few artists across history have captured minds and imaginations as fully as Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh, who over the course of his comparatively short career—around a decade—produced over 900 paintings, some of which are the most famous in Western art history, from Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers (1888) to The Starry Night (1889).
Along with his prodigious output, Van Gogh is also seen as a progenitor of the tortured artist trope, as he consistently struggled with his mental health throughout his lifetime. The artist spent one year in a psychiatric hospital in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence before moving outside of Paris to Auvers-sur-Oise, France, on May 20, 1890. He resided there until his death just a few months later. His work from this period in his career was marked by its own creative fervor and style, wherein he produced 73 paintings and 33 drawings, including the acclaimed masterpieces Portrait of Dr Paul Gachet, The Church in Auvers-sur-Oise, and Wheatfield with Crows.
For the first time ever, a traveling museum exhibition turns its focus exclusively to the work of this period: “Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise: The Final Months,” organized by the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, and the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Comprised of 40 paintings and roughly 20 drawings by the artist, the show offers a thematic look into his practice during his final months—including landscapes, portraits, and still lifes—as well as a dedicated documentary section that illuminates the context in which he worked, via photos of the village and its people at the time.
“Van Vogh in Auvers-sur-Oise: The Final Months” is on view at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, through February 4, 2024.
Vincent Van Gogh, Le Docteur Paul Gachet (1890). Collection of the Musée d’Orsay, Paris. © Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt.
Vincent van Gogh, Portrait du Dr Gachet (1890). Collection of the Vincent van Gogh Foundation. © Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation).
Vincent Van Gogh, Chaumes de Cordeville à Auvers-sur-Oise (1890). Collection of the Musée d’Orsay, Paris. © Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt.
Vincent van Gogh, L’église d’Auvers-sur-Oise (1890). Collection of the Musée d’Orsay, Paris. © Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt.
Vincent van Gogh, Bords de l’Oise à Auvers-sur-Oise (1890). Collection of the Musée d’Orsay, Paris. © Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt.
Vincent van Gogh, Jardin à Auvers-sur-Oise (1890). Collection of the Musée d’Orsay, Paris. © Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt.
Vincent van Gogh, Roses et renoncules (1890). Collection of the Musée d’Orsay, Paris. © Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt.
Vincent van Gogh, Adeline Ravoux (1890). Collection particulière. Courtesy of HomeArt.
Vincent van Gogh, Marguerite Gachet au Piano (1890). Collection of the Vincent van Gogh Foundation. © Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation).
Vincent van Gogh, Champ de blé aux corbeaux (1890). Collection of the Vincent van Gogh Foundation. © Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation).
Vincent van Gogh, Paysage au crépuscule (1890). Collection of the Vincent van Gogh Foundation. © Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation).
Vincent van Gogh, Sous-bois avec deux personnages (1890). Collection of the Cincinnati Art Museum. © Cincinnati Art Museum.
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