We have some exciting news to share from the art world, which some of you may already be aware of. From October 3rd, 2023 to February 4th, 2024, the prestigious Musée d'Orsay in Paris will host a landmark exhibition dedicated to the remarkable works of Vincent van Gogh during the final phase of his life.

The big glass clock inside the Musee D'Orsay in Paris. There are people standing in front of it looking through the glass.
The big clock inside the Musée d'Orsay in Paris
©

Pixabay CC0

Set against the backdrop of Auvers-sur-Oise, a picturesque town near Paris, this exhibition marks the first-ever comprehensive exploration of this pivotal and extraordinarily prolific period in the artist's career, unveiling his final evolution as an artist.

View through an oval shaped window in a staircase leading up to van Gogh's attic room in Auvers-sur-Oise
A staircase window leading up to van Gogh's attic room in Auvers-sur-Oise
©

John Kolter, CC-BY 2.5

Following a period of deep struggle and crisis in Arles and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Van Gogh moved nearer to Paris and his supportive brother, Théo, arriving in Auvers-sur-Oise on May 20th, 1890. He was drawn to the picturesque town of Auvers-sur-Oise by Dr. Gachet, a renowned physician specializing in the treatment of ‘melancholia’ (a type of depression). Dr. Gachet was also an avid art collector, an amateur painter himself, and a friend of the Impressionists.

A portrait painting of van Gogh's Doctor Gachet
Van Gogh's Dr. Gachet
©

Wikipedia, Public Domain

Van Gogh took up residence at the Ragout Inn in the heart of the village, immersing himself in his beautiful new environment, all while grappling with the challenges of his mental health, his relationship with his brother, and navigating the art world and trying to find his place in it.

His time there was tragically cut short by his death on July 29th. However, these two months were transformative for the artist, characterized by a surge of creative energy and the production of more than 30 drawings and sketches and 74 paintings, including some of his most celebrated masterpieces: ‘The Church at Auvers-sur-Oise’, ‘Wheatfield with Crows’ and ‘Doctor Paul Gachet’ (his doctor). The exhibition will showcase approximately 40 paintings and 20 drawings from this period.

A painting by van Gogh of the Church at Auvers-sur-Oise
Van Gogh's painting of The Church at Auvers-sur-Oise
©

Wikipedia, Public Domain

The curated selection will be organized thematically, including landscapes featuring the village, portraits, still lifes, and evocative depictions of the surrounding countryside. Notably, visitors will be able to see a series of van Gogh’s paintings presented in an elongated double-square format, a unique and captivating feature of van Gogh's work.

If you would like more information about visiting the exhibition at the Orsay Museum during your trip to Paris, you may visit the museum’s website, or if you’re traveling with us, let us know and we will book tickets for you as part of your itinerary.

If you're interested in visiting Arles and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence to admire some of the scenery that van Gogh painted during the last years of his life, we can include these in any of our Provence tours.

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

5.0
Vania
Emilie did an outstanding job choosing ideal locations, charming B and B's and accommodating our requests. We went from Normandy to Aix to the Alps to Paris and were happy with the entire trip. She created a personalized itinerary that made our travels very easy and our experiences feel unique. No doubt I would recommend France Just for You and …
John
My wife and I recently engaged Emilie, of France Just For You, to plan a two week trip to Provence in the first two weeks of May. It was mid-March and we found Emilie during a web search of self-driving tours of France. What a find! Emilie responded within twenty-four hours with very specific questions, wanting to know more about us, our interests …
Liz & Chris
A great team of Professional, Friendly people who really know France ! The team at France Just For you are Fantastic. From the first introductory email to the last farewell, they listened, planned, helped and crafted a brilliant trip around Bordeaux, Medoc and Dordogne. They responded immediately to questions as if we were the only people they had …
Bev & Jeff from the US
Wow ! Wow ! Wow ! We had the best 23 day trip to France. I normally plan our vacations, but after finding the France Just For You website, I knew we had to let the experts plan our 30th Anniversary. Every Bed & Breakfast was excellent. They were so beautiful and the welcome was fantastic at every one. FJFY thinks of every detail. Directions, train …
Mervyn
My wife and I and two friends decided we would like to visit France and by chance I found Emilie's website and initiated an online conversation with her over a year ago. We really did not know what we wanted to do, nor where we wanted to go and so our planning became a moving feast, most ably supported by Emilie. How she ever put up with our …
Judy
I can echo everything that has been said in the previous three reviews. The personalization of this entire trip was incredible and Emilie communicated quickly and completely, both in the planning of the trip and after we were in France. My husband and I were spending four weeks in France in celebration of our 50th anniversary. We were a little …