Friday 18 October 2013

Van Gogh and St Remy de Provence


What a bizarre week, first I find myself two foot deep in snow and then a quick trip down to Provence and back to lovely Autumn sunshine. I'd heard somewhere that St Remy was a nice place and 'Arty'.
  Van Gogh spent a year at St Pauls Mausole and painted over 150 canvases here in just a year.
I reckon that must be about one every two and half days, quite something.
We first took a walk around the town in the famous man's footsteps. He was allowed to paint away from the rest home but only a mile away.What came across most was seeing the textures he made from the landscape before him and muted colours of Prussian Blues with light showing through. In this part of Provence the light is very special and colours do seem muted and much more opaque.



Next we entered St Pauls Mausole and walked peacefully through the wing which is open to the public.
We stepped inside his light and airy room, what a lovely view from the window. Standing looking out of the same window and I imagined Van Gogh standing there gazing looking across the Olive trees and gardens full of texture, colour and light. I could see how he painted all these paintings.




The view from his bedroom window


Looking back to St Paul's from the garden full of lavender and lemon smelling Rosemary




While enjoying our time in the garden, I glanced over with miles and miles of Olive groves and vineyards in the distant view there was mighty Mont Ventoux.

No comments: