Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The grave of Vincent van Gogh and his brother Théo is located in the cemetery of Auvers-sur-Oise in Île-de-France. Vincent van Gogh, a Dutch painter born in 1853, died there on 29 July 1890 after having shot himself in the chest two days earlier. His brother Theo, who survived him only six months, was first buried in the Netherlands. In 1914, Johanna van Gogh-Bunger, widow of Théo, transferred his body to rest with Vincent, thus fulfilling their wish to be reunited after death.

Vincent van Gogh spent the last 70 days of his life in Auvers-sur-Oise, under the supervision of Dr.Paul Gachet, friend of Impressionist painters. During this period, he produced more than 70 paintings, including major works such as The Church of Auvers-sur-Oise and Field of wheat with crows. His mental state, fragile, worsens before his suicide. Theo, with syphilis, died in January 1891, leaving Johanna to manage their artistic heritage.

The cemetery of Auvers-sur-Oise, where the two brothers rest side by side, has become a place of pilgrimage for art lovers from all over the world. The grave, sober and surrounded by ivy, is marked by two simple tombstones. This site symbolizes the close relationship between the brothers, as well as the immense artistic heritage left by Vincent, now considered one of the most influential painters in history.

Van Gogh's posthumous recognition is largely due to Johanna van Gogh-Bunger. She organizes exhibitions, publishes Vincent's correspondence, and helps to publicize her work. The letters exchanged between Vincent and Theo, numbering 652, reveal their complicity and the importance of Théo in his brother's career. These documents, preserved at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, offer a unique insight into their life and work.

Auvers-sur-Oise, a village already popular with Impressionist painters like Cézanne, is inseparable from Van Gogh's end of life. Dr Gachet, who cares for him, is himself an amateur and collector artist. The house where Vincent lodges, the Ravoux Inn, is today a museum dedicated to his memory. The tomb, on the other hand, embodies the fraternal and artistic bond that unites Vincent and Theo for eternity.

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