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Key figures

Origin and history

Van Gogh House in Auvers-sur-Oise is an emblematic place linked to the last months of the life of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. Arrived on 20 May 1890, he rented a room at the Ravoux Inn for 3.50 francs a day. During these 70 days, he made 74 paintings, 45 drawings and one engraving, marking the climax of his art. Under the supervision of Doctor Paul Gachet, a friend of Impressionist painters, Van Gogh painted major works such as The Church of Auvers-sur-Oise and Field of Wheat with Ravens.

On July 27, 1890, after finishing Tree roots, Van Gogh shot himself in the chest. He was taken to Ravoux Inn, where he died two days later, assisted by his brother Theo. The latter, suffering from syphilis, died six months after Vincent and was buried next to him at the cemetery of Auvers-sur-Oise in 1914. The house, now known as "Auberge Ravoux", has become a place of pilgrimage for art lovers.

Auvers-sur-Oise, village of the French Vexin, was already popular with painters of the Barbizon school and impressionists like Cézanne. Van Gogh finds a renewed inspiration, capturing rural landscapes and local architecture. His stay here marks the end of a brilliant career, marked by mental crises but also by intense and innovative artistic production.

The posthumous recognition of Van Gogh owes much to Johanna Bonger, widow of Theo, who organizes exhibitions and publishes her correspondence. The Ravoux Inn, classified as a historical monument, now houses a restaurant and a museum dedicated to the artist. She keeps Van Gogh's room, where he painted some of his last paintings.

Works made in Auvers-sur-Oise, such as La Nuit étoile sur le Rhône or Le Jardin de Daubigny, reflect his mature style, marked by bright colours and expressive touches. These paintings, now scattered in the largest museums, bear witness to his genius and influence on later artistic movements, such as expressionism and Fauvism.

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