Bedroom in Arles (first version)

Anatomy of a masterpiece: Vincent's Bedroom in Arles

Tiny bedroom in Yellow house in the square Lamartine became the most favorite housing of Vincent in his life. In this house he rented four rooms, one of which he lived himself, and secondly, soon settled Paul Gauguin. Another room was probably reserved for the Studio in which the artist worked in rainy days. Only van Gogh painted three versions of "Bedroom in Arles" (second, third). Composite video is no different, the difference is only in shades, that uses Vincent, and the paintings hanging on the bedroom wall. Of course, this painting by van Gogh himself. The decor of the room is quite modest, even meager, not least due to its size. However, Vincent seems to not need too many things for a happy life.

1. Picture in picture

Above the headboard hangs a painting, which remains unchanged in all three versions of "Bedroom in Arles" - "Boulders and oak" written by Vincent in Arles in the summer of 1888. This work was one of the favorite paintings of his brother Theo.

2. Other avtoritety

Right above the bed you can see the portraits painted by Vincent. Some of them are easily recognizable. In the first embodiment of the picture it portraits Eugene Boschand Lieutenant Mille. On the second guess one of the self portraits of van Gogh. And the third (which is a copy of the second) these works are drawn much more clearly, and here already precisely it is possible to determine that one of them self-portrait 1889 and the second is an unidentified portrait of a woman (possibly Madame Geno).

3. Closet

Behind the headboard on the far wall hung favorite blue blouse by van Gogh, who, according to the memoirs of contemporaries, he always wore at work. Here – the famous straw hat, painted several self-portraits (1, 2, 3). With its help, Vincent not only saved from the hot summer sun, but, according to some, is fastened on her field of candles, working on night landscapes.

4. Chairs

Because of the small size of the furniture in the room: bed, dressing table and two matching chairs. One of these chairs Vincent devoted a separate picture, which is often mentioned in conjunction with "Gauguin's Chair". Lonely chair with its pipe and tobacco once again becomes van Gogh a symbol of absence, of something irretrievably gone, lost.

5. Mirror

To the left of the window above the vanity hangs a small mirror. Apparently, it was to this mirror Vincent tried to cut off his ear on Christmas eve 1888. Found van Gogh at first, police thought he was dead: around the house was left bloody footprints, and the room of the artist they found full of blood in the pelvis (probably the same one that can be seen on the table) and himself unconscious.

Despite how tragically ended the life of Vincent in the Yellow house, this room for a while became his sanctuary, his happy place. Telling brother about the painting "Bedroom in Arles", the artist writes: "The whole thing is in color, making it easier which I attach to objects more style, so that they made me think about rest and sleep at all. The look needs to calm the brain, or rather, the imagination".

Author: Eugene Sidelnikov