Sunday 14 October 2018

Postcard from Auvers-sur-Oise, France


Just over half an hour's drive from Paris and the Orsay Museum, lies the artists' village of Auvers-sur-Oise. Admirers of Vincent van Gogh and other 19th century landscape painters come here from all over the world to be in the very spots depicted in so many well loved paintings. The village is 7 kilometers long (about 4.4 miles). The best way to discover it is on foot.

We made our first stop at the Auvers-sur-Oise Tourist Office to pick up a map and asked a few questions. The weather was cloudy with good chance of rain so we decided to walk the short pedestrian circuit of two hours, as opposed to the longer circuit that would take up to 4.5 hours.

On this walk, we started from Van Gogh Park, discovered places painted by Vincent van Gogh, and ended at the cemetery where the graves of the two van Gogh brothers are located. Below are my photos from Auvers-sur-Oise:

#1) Van Gogh's statue designed by the sculptor Ossip Zadkine in 1961. It is located in Van Gogh Park just outside of the tourist office.

#1) Vincent van Gogh statue

#2 and #3) Auvers-sur-Oise Town Hall which was depicted in van Gogh's La Mairie d'Auvers painting. The town hall is across the street from the inn, Auberge Ravoux, where van Gogh spent his last seventy days.

#2) Auvers-sur-Oise Town Hall

#3) La Mairie d'Auvers copy

#4) Van Gogh's residence at Auberge Ravoux, 52 Général De Gaulle Street, where Van Gogh's room has been left untouched, giving visitors a good idea of the artist's living conditions at the time. There is nothing to see in his room other than a small skylight and an old bistro chair. During his stay at Auberge Ravoux, Vincent van Gogh painted seventy eight paintings. Among these were a dozen or so portraits, two of which depict Adeline Ravoux, the thirteen-year old eldest daughter of the innkeepers Ravoux.

#4) Auberge Ravoux

#5 and #6) Walking towards the church Église d'Auvers, we passed by the Daubigny Museum and the steps where Vincent van Gogh painted L'escalier d'Auvers.

#5) The Daubigny museum

#6) L'escalier d'Auvers copy

#7 to #9) The church, Église d'Auvers, in the Romano-Gothic style surrounded by a bell tower, is characteristic of the region. Vincent van Gogh painted it on June 3 and 4, 1890. It is now a master piece of the Orsay Museum. We were able to go inside the church and took photos. The church exterior was under restoration and had some scaffolding behind the bell tower.

#7) Auvers church tower

#8) Auvers church door

#9) Église d'Auvers painting copy

#10 to #12) The houses in Auvers-sur-Oise looked pretty with their painted windows and doors, or greenery and flowers along the walls. Part of the walk is uphill, providing a good view of the village.

#10) Red doors and windows in Auvers-sur-Oise

#11) Flowers in Auvers-sur-Oise

 #12) Blue doors and windows in Auvers-sur-Oise

#13) The graves of Vincent van Gogh and his brother Théodore in the Auvers Cemetery: Vincent van Gogh arrived in Auvers on May 20, 1890 and died on July 29. He was 37. His younger brother, confidant, and primary supporter, Théodore, died of syphilis six months later at age 33.

Vincent and Théodore van Gogh's graves

The weather forecast was right. As we approached the cemetery, it started raining, first lightly then it became heavier. We were pleased to complete the short pedestrian circuit and saw several key landmarks in Auvers-sur-Oise on this visit.

Are you a fan of Vincent van Gogh's art? Which of his paintings do you like most? Please share.

42 comments:

  1. What a lovely spot! Pity about the rain, but you seemed to fit it all in nicely!

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    1. We were able to complete the short circuit which was great. The longer circuit may be a good reason to return to Auvers-sur-Oise :)

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  2. Natalie, thank you for taking me on such a lovely mini-vacation! I don't know his work well, but two of his paintings that I can think of that I like are Café Terrace at Night and The Sea at Les Saintes [something or other]. And I seem to recall a sweet portrait of his mother.

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    1. Thank you, Jean, for your visit and comment. I like the first two van Gogh's paintings that you mentioned, too (Cafe Terrace at Night and The Sea at Les Saintes-Maries-de-La-Mer). He did paint portrait of his mother in 1888.

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  3. Shame about the rain but how beautiful it is! I can see where some of Van Gogh's inspiration may have come from.

    SSG xxx

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    1. Auvers village did a good job marking the spots depicted in van Gogh's paintings. It's a small village that seemed to inspire him. He was prolific when he lived there. There were many other artists who lived and painted in Auvers-sur-Oise, too.

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  4. I have been here Natalie, and took all the same photos as you! I loved the town and the history with the artworks everywhere :) The church was used in a Doctor Who episode and I loved being there to see it for myself. Fantastic memories, thanks so much. Visiting from #Lifethisweek Debbie from debs-world.com

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    1. Thank you, Debbie. Great minds think alike :) We were there at mid-week in late August and had the village pretty much to ourselves. No crowd at all so it was a relaxing and lovely walk.

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  5. It all looks lovely Natalie - very rustic and a bit of culture thrown in - I hadn't realized that Vincent had a brother or that he died so young too.

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    1. Thank you, Leanne, for your comment. Vincent van Gogh and his brother, Theo, were close. There are letters that they wrote to each other, mostly from Vincent. It's sad that Vincent's paintings did not become famous and well sought after until after his death.

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    2. I love history that feels "real" Natalie and this certainly is one of those examples. MLSTL and I've shared on my SM :)

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    3. Same here, Leanne. Thank you for hosting MLSTL and sharing on your SM.

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  6. Looks like a great place to visit. We haven't been yet but did visit Monet's house and garden at Giverny and loved it.

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    1. Thank you, Darlene, for your comment. Yes, I visited Giverny on a previous trip to France and loved it, too.

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  7. Beautiful pictures of a lovely place. Thank you.

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    1. Thank you, Terri, for your visit and comment.

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  8. It's so beautiful! Gorgeous.

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    1. Thank you, Melissa. Nice to hear from you.

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  9. Hi, Natalie - I have commented on this post previously, but do not see my comment above. (I swear that WP/Blogger are currently trying hard to mess with me). This is an awesome post. I greatly appreciated this virtual tour -- and how your sense of wonder and adventure cannot be damped by rain! #MLSTL

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    1. Hi Donna - Sorry to hear your first comment didn't come through. I didn't receive it at all, not even in spam folder. It's frustrating when this issue occurs out of the blue. Thank you for returning with your encouraging words as usual. I greatly appreciate it. We were finishing up the 2-hour walk in Auvers when the rain arrived and it was summer rain so no hardship for us at all.

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  10. I love the history found in France (and so much of Europe)! I'm not a huge VG fan although his self-portrait is mesmerizing and, of course, The Sunflowers, love the sunflowers. Thanks for the lovely tour!

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    1. Thank you, Agnes, for stopping by. I really like van Gogh's Sunflowers painting, too.

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  11. So very cool. You are doing a great job and in taking us along of this trip. Very nice. Thanks. #MLSTL

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    1. Thank you, Patrick, for your kind words. Much appreciated!

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  12. Wow - thank you Natalie for that info and virtual tour on Vincent Van Gogh and Auvers-sur-Oise in France. The photographs are gorgeous! I loved seeing the actual buildings and then his painting depicting them. It makes the paintings so much more interesting. It's so sad how young he and his brother were when they passed away. #MLSTL

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    1. Thank you, Min, for your comment. From what I read, Vincent van Gogh had a hard life with health issues and low income. He was a prolific artist when he was in Auvers the last seventy days of his life.

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  13. Your post today reads and views like a history book. What experiences you are having to add to the memories in your life. Thank you for joining #lifethisweek. Next week's optional prompt is Easy Meal Ideas. Denyse

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    1. Thank you, Denyse, for your comment. My visit to Auvers-sur-Oise was a very nice walking and learning experience that I wanted to share on my blog. I look forward to easy meal ideas.

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  14. What a great trip. Your posts are interesting and make me want to travel more.

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    1. Thank you, Victoria, for your encouraging comment. I greatly appreciate it.

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  15. Beautiful Natalie. I especially enjoyed the comparison between photos of the actual spots and Van Gogh's interpretations. I have a book that intersperses some of Vincent van Gogh's letters and his paintings. I love it and need to get it back out again before I can choose a favorite.

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    1. Thank you, Christie, for your comment. I think Vincent van Gogh really brought out the beauty of the landmarks at Auvers-sur-Oise and its surroundings. Enjoy browsing your book!

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  16. I'm a huge fan. My fave is starry night - but sunflowers is so incredibly happy.

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    1. You would enjoy visiting Auvers-sur-Oise then. Yes, I really like the colours in both The starry night and Sunflowers paintings.

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  17. What a wonderful place. I'd love to visit. Art, scenery and France, what more could a girl want! #MLSTL and shared on SM

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    1. It was a lovely visit to Auvers-sur-Oise. Thank you, Jo, for your comment.

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  18. Beautiful. Looks like something I would really enjoy!

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    1. I think so. Thank you, Cherie, for your comment.

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  19. I've been to France a few times but have never had an opportunity to really explore like you are. I know what I'm missing. Thanks, Brenda

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    1. Thank you, Brenda, for stopping by. There is so much to explore in France. I try to visit a new place outside of Paris every time I go there.

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  20. I only spent about ninety minutes in this little town, but how I wish I could have stayed far longer! I absolutely adored the idea of showcasing vangogh's painting next to its real subject. The only one I saw was the church... but it was so impactful. One of the top ten best experiences of my life.

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    1. Thank you, Molly, for stopping by. Auvers-sur-Oise is a lovely village rich with history and arts. They've done a very good job marking the places depicted in van Gogh's paintings. I can see how the trip made one of the top ten best experiences in your life.

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