field with fence in background; graphite sketch of building façade, verso

View of the Field behind Saint Paul’s Asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, 1889

expand_more
Not on Viewexpand_more

Suffering from increasingly acute attacks of mental illness, Vincent van Gogh voluntarily entered an asylum in the spring of 1889, just over a year before his suicide. The hospital of Saint Paul’s was in a 12th-century monastery in the countryside near Arles, in southern France. This view of wheat fields was likely the one van Gogh saw from his small cell in the asylum. He focused on the sparseness of the environment and texture of the wheat grass. Using the field’s walled enclosure and distant horizon, he convincingly structured the space in perspective and simultaneously evoked the vastness and loneliness of the rural landscape.

Details
Title
View of the Field behind Saint Paul’s Asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
Artist Life
1853 - 1890
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2001.144
Provenance
The artist's brother, Theo van Gogh, Paris (1890-d.1891); his widow, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, Amsterdam (1891-d.1925); her son, Vincent Willem van Gogh, Amsterdam (1925-1942; gave to neighbor); private collection (May 12, 1942-1997; lent to Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 1988-1997; sold to Dickinson Roundell); [Dickinson Roundell, New York 1997-2000; exhibited at Maastricht fair, 2000]; [Brame & Lorenceau, Paris; until 2001, sold to Dayton]; Ruth and Bruce Dayton, Wayzata, Minn. (2001; given to MIA).
Catalogue Raisonne
De La Faille no. 1559
Curator Approved

This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.

field with fence in background; graphite sketch of building façade, verso