SAINT-R ́EMY AND AUVERS-SUR-OISE

 Van Gogh closed out the final 14 months of his life in St. R ́emy, wherehe lived in a mental institution, being treated for seizures, and in Auvers-sur-Oise, where he was in the care of Dr. Paul Gachet. At the mental hospitalin Saint R ́emy, he continued to paint, except when he was having an attack.He never worked during such episodes and never put brush to canvas untilhe was completely recovered. Since there were plenty of empty rooms inthe asylum, he was given an additional room in which to work. In May,1889, he wrote Theo that “myfearof madness is wearing off markedly.”In the same letter, he takes comfort from what he learns and sees in theasylum:I am so grateful for yet another thing. I’ve noticed that others, too,hear sounds and strange voices during their attacks, as I did, and thatthings seemed to change before their very eyes. And that lessened thehorror with which I remembered my first attack, something that, whenit comes upon you unexpectedly, cannot but frighten you terribly. Onceyou know it is part of the illness, you accept it like anything else (NYGS,1978, Letter 592, 22 May, 1889)