Vincent Van Gogh 125 Years of Inspiration
Introduction This July 29th marks the 125th anniversary of the death of Vincent Van Gogh, one of the greatest Post-Impressionism artists of all time. To commemorate his timeless paintings, this year the Van Gogh Europe Foundation is organizing many activities at museums and heritage sites worldwide under the theme of 125 Years of Inspiration. Join the celebration by visiting places in France where Van Gogh traveled and worked with a relaxing river cruise from AmaWaterways.
Provence & Spain: Les Baux In the late 1880s, Vincent Van Gogh lived in Arles, France, and became inspired by the light and colors of Provence. Less than thirty minutes from Arles, your AmaWaterways cruise includes an excursion to the sunny village of Les Baux. The region features excellent Mediterranean sightseeing, including olive groves and vineyards, and just inside the entrance to the village, tourists can enjoy narrow cobblestone streets complete with terrace cafés and souvenir shops.
Provence & Spain: Impressionist Experience Tour On the Impressionist Experience tour offered by AmaWaterways, visitors will explore the Saint Paul de Mausole Asylum, where Van Gogh once lived and painted his famous works The Irises and The Starry Night. After, you ll continue to celebrate Van Gogh s life and the significance of Arles in art history by visiting the Carrieres de Lumieres, a stone quarry that projects European artwork on its walls, including many of Van Gogh s well-known paintings. As part of the excursion, you ll also enjoy a city walking tour to the Romanesque cathedral and the Roman Amphitheater.
Provence & Spain: Saint Paul de Mausole Asylum As a self-admitted patient at the Saint Paul de Mausole Asylum in Saint-Rémy-de- Provence, Van Gogh carried out over 140 oil paintings and more than 100 drawings in the span of just a little over a year. During his stay at the asylum (since renamed Clinique Van Gogh), he made several paintings of the asylum gardens as well as the enclosed wheat field that he could see from his room, and also completed a few portraits of other patients. Learn more about Van Gogh s life and death with a stopover at this landmark during your walking tour of Arles.
Paris & Normandy: Auvers-sur-Oise Also known as the village of Van Gogh, Auvers-sur-Oise is a commune located in the suburbs of Paris. The village is home to Auberge Ravoux, the inn where Van Gogh spent his final days. During your Paris & Normandy cruise from AmaWaterways, you ll disembark in Conflans and find yourself within the scenes of many of Van Gogh s famous paintings on an "Artists Walk" tour through the village s gardens and streets.
Paris & Normandy: Auberge Ravoux Located in the heart of Auverssur-Oise, Auberge Ravoux was once a popular destination for artists during the latenineteenth century. The inn housed important painters such as Daubigny and Cézanne, and was the site of Van Gogh s tragic death in 1890. Today, Auberge Ravoux is a popular tourist destination for fans of the artist. Visitors can tour Van Gogh's room, which has been restored to its original condition, or enjoy a meal inspired by nineteenth-century regional cuisine in the inn s dining room.
Paris & Normandy: Maison du Docteur Gachet Before his death in 1890, Van Gogh traveled to Auvers-sur-Oise to be in the care of Doctor Paul Ferdinand Gachet. The doctor s charming home, the Maison du Docteur Gachet, is now an educational museum open to the public. On your visit to Auvers-sur-Oise, be sure to see the house and beautiful gardens, which are featured in several of Van Gogh s works.
Paris & Normandy: Musée d Orsay On your last stopover in Paris, your AmaWaterways itinerary will take you to the Musée d'orsay. Once a grandiose train station, the Musée d'orsay now draws impressive crowds as one of Paris most popular museums. Their permanent collection is perfect for the last stop of your 125 Years of Inspiration celebration, as the museum boasts 25 paintings by Van Gogh, including Starry Night Over the Rhone, Vincent s Bedroom in Arles, Self- Portrait, and The Church at Auvers just to name a few.
About AmaWaterways AmaWaterways is a river cruise line offering vacations on the waterways of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The company was founded in 2002 and is one of river cruising s pioneers, having introduced the modern-day river cruise concept to the market. For more information about river cruises in France, Spain, and beyond, call 1-800-626-0126 or visit http://www.amawaterways.com/.
Image Attributions Slide 8: Doctor Gachet s Garden in Auvers by Vincent van Gogh [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Marguerite Gachet in the Garden by Vincent van Gogh [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons