© Jean-Yves Lacôte ©RMN-Grand Palais (musée d'Orsay) Gérard Blot
POV: the tar of Paris starts to intoxicate you and you have (already) scoured the most beautiful exhibitions of this spring... One thing is sure: seeing the countryside only through the canvases of Impressionist painters becomes depressing. Solution: we quickly book ourselves an arty and rustic expedition to Auvers-sur-Oise, 1h from Paris, where we truly admire the landscapes of the master Vincent Van Gogh. A big breath of air and art to treat yourself to starting this weekend!
THE HOUSE OF DOCTOR GACHET
A lightning artistic moment, where painting imposed itself as a prescribed remedy: it is the scenario of the last days of Van Gogh, lived at the house of Doctor Gachet. Nestled discreetly in a small street, the home of this doctor, artist and art collector, was the stage of Impressionist painting. The Dutchman, then affected by syphilis, took refuge there to find rest and inspiration after his time in Arles. In his pictorial frenzy, he painted there the melancholic and famous Portrait of Doctor Gachet with foxglove branch, among around 74 other canvases in 70 days (!!).
Today, the garden and ground floor have been redone in order to discover the place with the same eyes as those of the painter during his stay. Upstairs, an exhibition on the art of the doctor and his son has settled in, assuring a cozy place to the two art lovers among the souls of masters like Cézanne or Pissarro, who also lived in the house. A visit there is mandatory to better understand the last days of Vincent Van Gogh.
Maison du Docteur Gachet, 78 rue du Dr Gachet, 95430 Auvers-sur-Oise. Open from Wednesday to Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Full price: €5.
© Wouter van der Veen
THE CASTLE OF AUVERS-SUR-OISE
We take the opportunity to make a detour to the grandiose château d’Auvers-sur-Oise, not far from Gachet’s home, where an exhibition on the last travels of the painter has just settled in. On the program: the hanging tells the story of the last four years of Van Gogh through a collection of prints, works by contemporary artists and “Museum Editions”, faithful reproductions of Van Gogh’s paintings. In highlight, the scenography retraces the artistic and bohemian life of Montmartre in the 19th century, but also some works by Léonide Bourges, artist who painted Auvers-sur-Oise Church from the same angle as him! Who copied who? Who knows…
VAN GOGH, LES DERNIERS VOYAGES, until November 2, 2025 at the Château d’Auvers-sur-Oise. Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Full price: €14.
RUSTIC WALK
Up for making the pleasure last? Higher in the village, one can discover the place that inspired the ultimate work of Van Gogh: Les Racines. The inspiration for the canvas, long a mystery, was revealed by a specialist of the artist who discovered it in 2020 thanks to a postcard! Finally, we stroll through the field where the painter of the Sunflowers decided to end his life, before walking to the cemetery where he rests under a bed of ivy with his brother Théo. Final stop at the Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption church, the star of the famous painting, to beautifully close this exotic journey.
HOW TO GET THERE?
From Gare du Nord, take line H to Valmondois, then get off and take line H again towards Pontoise, to stop at Auvers-sur-Oise station. Better yet, on Sundays and public holidays, take a direct line for the train of the Impressionists!
Also discover 5 new terraces to discover urgently and the Worth exhibition at the Petit Palais.
