Van Gogh at St Paul's hospital

In May 1889 Van Gogh admitted himself to the asylum of St. Paul-de-Mausole I Saint-Remy, thirty kilometers form Arles.

Van Gogh himself led Dr Rey to believe that there was a history of epileptic attacks in his family. The doctor in Saint-Remy accepted this diagnosis of new patient without question.

He continued to paint the surrounding countryside at various times of day from within these confines, working form views through the window of his room or in the garden of the hospital.

During his stay in the hospital van Gogh pointed landscapes, in which he recreated the world of his childhood anew.

Green Wheat Field with Cypress

His approach to nature became more abstract with trees bent into cruel, sinister shapes and skies colored purple and yellow as in The Garden of Saint Paul’s Hospital.  He painted two versions of The Garden of Saint Paul’s Hospital.

In early June Van Gogh began to venture out of the hospital and into the surrounding countryside, where he painted Olive Grove, which depicts olive trees bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun.

Other painting including The Reaper, the Enclosed Field and The Evening Stroll are among 150 canvases during his twelve months stay.

By early 1890 van Gogh's attacks of illness worsened and he believed that his stay at the asylum was not helping to make him better. This led to his plans to move to Auvers-sur-Oise just north of Paris in May, 1890.
Van Gogh at St Paul's hospital