''View of the Asylum and Chapel of Saint-Rémy'' is an oil on canvas painting by

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...

that he painted in autumn 1889 at Saint-Rémy, France, where he had voluntarily incarcerated himself in a lunatic asylum. The painting was originally thought to be a view of the church at Labbeville, near Auvers, where he moved following his stay at the asylum, but it is now accepted to be a view of the asylum and church at Saint-Rémy. It may have been among the 'autumn studies' mentioned in Vincent's letter to his brother Theo of 7 December 1889. According to Ronald Pickvance, "the view is unique in van Gogh's entire Saint-Remy oeuvre. It is the only work that affords a glimpse of the Romanesque tower of the original Augustinian monastery; in this respect, it can be compared with several views of the Romanesque tower of Saint-Trophime in Arles (e.g., F409, F515). Stylistically, it can be compared with '' Entrance to a Quarry''. The painting was in the collection of the actress

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...

, on display in her living room. In 2003 the heirs of German Jewish art collector Margarete Mauthner filed a claim against Taylor for Van Gogh's ''View of the Hospice'' and the ''Chapel of Saint-Remy''. Elizabeth Taylor's father, Francis Lenn Taylor, an art dealer, had acquired it in 1963. The claim was dismissed and the painting was sold at auction in 2012 following her death for $15,991,575.

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shan ...

, LotFinder: entr
5532359
(sale 8049, lot 12, London, 7 February 2012)

References

Bibliography

* de la Faille, Jacob-Baart. ''The Works of Vincent van Gogh: His Paintings and Drawings''. Amsterdam: Meulenhoff, 1970. * Hulsker, Jan. ''The Complete Van Gogh''. Oxford: Phaidon, 1980. * Naifeh, Steven; Smith, Gregory White. ''Van Gogh: The Life''. Profile Books, 2011. {{DEFAULTSORT:View of the Asylum and Chapel of Saint-Remy Paintings by Vincent van Gogh Paintings of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence by Vincent van Gogh 1889 paintings Oil on canvas paintings Landscape paintings Churches in art

See also

References

Bibliography