Van Gogh in

Auberge Ravoux

Upon arrival in Auvers-sur-Oise on 20 May 1890, Vincent rented a room on the second floor of Auberge Ravoux in Place de la Mairie. Dr Gachet had advised him to use the village’s other inn, Saint-Aubin in Rue de Pontoise, but Vincent found it too expensive at six francs per night. Arthur Gustave Ravoux and his wife, Adeline Louise Touillet, charged just three and a half francs per night – still more than Vincent had hoped to spend

He led an orderly life at Auberge Ravoux, rising at five every morning and going out to paint. He came back for lunch at noon precisely, spent the afternoon working on his paintings in the “painters’ room” downstairs in the lobby, ate dinner with the other lodgers and went to bed around nine. He had stopped drinking alcohol and was in good spirits. Two other artists, the Dutch painter Anton Hirschig and the Spaniard Martinez de Valdivielse, were also staying in the inn, and Vincent often spoke with them about art.

Vincent was incredibly productive in Auvers. In three months, he completed almost 70 paintings. Along with numerous landscapes, he made portraits, including one of Adeline Ravoux, the innkeepers’ 13-year-old daughter. He gave her the work as a gift. The Ravouxs later also received the painting Auvers Town Hall.

On 27 July, Vincent went into the fields to paint, as he did every day. This time things ended differently, however. Vincent attempted to kill himself. He returned to Auberge Ravoux that evening with a gunshot wound to the chest and stumbled toward his room. Mr Ravoux notified a doctor and remained with Vincent until his brother arrived from Paris. Vincent died on 29 July in Room 5 of the Auberge Ravoux with Theo by his side. His body was placed on a bier downstairs in the painters’ room until the burial on 30 July. Artist friends from Paris hung his paintings up in the room.