| View of the Asylum and Chapel of Saint-Rémy | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh |
| Year | 1889 |
| Catalogue | |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 45.1 cm × 60.4 cm (17.8 in × 23.8 in) |
| Location | Private collection |
View of the Asylum and Chapel of Saint-Rémy is an oil on canvas painting byVincent van Gogh that he painted in autumn 1889 atSaint-Rémy, France, where he had voluntarily incarcerated himself ina lunatic asylum.
The painting was originally thought to be a view of the church atLabbeville, nearAuvers, 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.[1] It may have been among the 'autumn studies' mentioned in Vincent's letter to his brotherTheo of 7 December 1889.[2]
According to Ronald Pickvance, "the view is unique in van Gogh's entireSaint-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 withEntrance to a Quarry.[3]
The painting was in the collection of the actressElizabeth Taylor, on display in her living room. In 2003 the heirs of German Jewish art collectorMargarete Mauthner filed a claim against Taylor for Van Gogh'sView of the Hospice and theChapel of Saint-Remy.[4] 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.[5]