Art & Architecture
article | Reading time4 min
Did you know that the abbey was a place of inspiration for one of the greatest painters of the 19th century? The famous Vincent van Gogh painted Montmajour on many occasions. We tell you all about it!
Montmajour, a place of inspiration
Who was Vincent van Gogh?
Born on March 30, 1853, Vincent Willem van Gogh was the son of a pastor and the eldest of six siblings. Throughout his life, he struggled with bouts of madness, depression, anxiety and the disinterest of his contemporaries in his work, which was strongly influenced by the various episodes in his life and a lack of self-confidence.
Determined to become a painter, van Gogh enrolled at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, where he developed his vision of art and his technique. Between 1881 and 1883, he moved to The Hague, where he met many painters and became part of the school movement that bears the city's name. He set up his first studio there. He later returned to live with his parents and produced a large number of paintings.
Over the years, his art evolved. In 1886, he moved to Paris to live with his brother Theo. His stay was a success, and his painting changed, becoming more luminous. He rubbed shoulders with Monet, Signac, Gauguin and Émile Bernard; he benefited from the Impressionist influence, but eventually tired of it. He also discovered the Orient, especiallyJapanese art and the paintings of Hiroshige. Van Gogh was fascinated by this art, and by landscape paintings in particular. Japonism was to play a decisive role in the style of his later paintings.
In February 1888, he decided to leave Paris for Provence and, driven by the search for "his Japan", settled in Arles. During his stay in Arles, he produced a large number of canvases. Van Gogh was at the height of his powers, producing some of his most famous paintings, such as The Sunflowers and Starry Night on the Rhône.
© Vincent Van Gogh
My dear Theo, I've just returned from a day at Montmajour, where my friend Sub-Lieutenant Milliet kept me company. The two of us explored the old garden and stole some excellent figs.
Letters to Theo
His stay in Arles
Van Gogh decided to settle in Arles, although he had only planned to stop there. He felt safe there, and the city offered many attractions. It was here that he produced his best paintings, both in quantity and quality. The changing seasons, the orchards, the vast expanses are all subjects on which he lingers.
For Van Gogh, the South is synonymous with color, which he saw here as a tool in the service of his painting. Every morning, weather permitting, he set off in search of motifs capable of satisfying his creative impulse. Indeed, a joy of living and emotion have taken hold of him since his arrival in Arles, echoing in his painting. During long walks to soak up the Camargue landscapes, he discovered the Abbey of Montmajour, where he made several stops.
© Vincent Van Gogh
Tall reeds, vines, ivy, fig trees, olive trees, pomegranate trees with fat flowers of the brightest orange, hundred-year-old cypresses, ash and willow trees, rock oaks, half-timbered staircases, ruined ogival windows, blocks of white rock covered with lichen and sections of wall collapsed here and there in the greenery ...
Letters to Theo
Van Gogh and Montmajour
Described as a "romantic ruin", the abbey was to become the subject of several works ! Between June and July 1888, he spent time at the site, each time bringing back a series of sketches and studies. He treated the abbey ruins with realism, highlighting their disheveled silhouette.
The motifs he discovered at Montmajour brought him into contact with all the forms of painting he loved. It was a particular source of inspiration for him, a kind of "magic mountain".
He produced several drawings and two paintings of the abbey, including the famous Sunset at Montmajour, found in a private attic in 2013.
© Vincent Van Gogh
