Auvers sur Oise is a lovely little town some 40 minutes north of Paris by train and best known as the final resting place of Vincent Van Gogh and his brother Theo. Although Van Gogh only lived there for a few troubled months at the end of his life, the town has figured out how to make his stay there into a nice little industry and I say that with all due respect because they've done a good job of it. You can pick up a brochure at the tourist office for a walking tour around town. Along the route, panels are posted with reproductions of the work of Van Gogh and several other prominent painters who sojourned there including native son Charles-François Daubigny, Corot, and Cezanne. The panels are situated at each painting's vantage point so you can compare the views then and now.
You can also visit the inn where Van Gogh stayed, the home of his doctor immortalized in one of his portraits, the small church perched on top of the hill and the cemetery where Van Gogh and his brother were buried. Plus there's a museum dedicated to Daubigny, another to absinthe, a chateau with its own collection of impressionist paintings, and several restaurants with garden seating for good weather. Regrettably, all these were closed earlier this week when I passed through so if you wish to make the trip, I suggest you call ahead.
This picture would be more attractive if those trailers were gone but it's nice to see that work is underway to preserve this old church.
Rest in peace, brothers.
1 comment:
erci de l'information. I didn't know about this place.
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