VAN GOGH MUSEUM, Saint Remy

Vincent Van Gogh spent the early months of 1889 in Provence, swaying constantly between lucid moments and violent crises, during which he drank turpentine, distilled from a plant-based resin, and ate the paint from his tubes.

The effects of his mental illness and the abuse of various substances, including alcohol, are clearly visible in a number of paintings on display here in the Museum, evident in the improbable colors and undulating shapes. Examples include the three paintings in the Olive Trees series, in which the naturally twisted shape of the trees is taken to an extreme.

Van Gogh was aware of his condition, and in May 1889, he admitted himself to the psychiatric hospital in Saint Rémy de Provence, housed in a former convent.

Vincent did not receive any particular treatment in the hospital, but he was at least prevented from consuming harmful substances. He was given permission to paint, both in his room as well as in the gardens, under the watchful eye of a nurse....