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A painting by the outstanding artist, created during his voluntary admission to the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole psychiatric hospital in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence after financial and psychological exhaustion and epileptic seizures. This period was very productive, as the author created over 150 paintings at that time. And the building itself is the premises of a former monastery that was there in the 12th century.
The work was done with oil paints on drawing canvas, which were applied over a black sketch. Although the colors are quite bright, the canvas has a rather anxious appearance, like Vincent's internal state at that time. And the single figure only emphasizes the author's loneliness and isolation in this place, as most of the patients were locked in their wards.
Vincent sent this painting to his brother Theo to show him the conditions in which he was living. That is, it can be considered more of a sketch for a letter than a work with a deep meaning. However, we can only guess.
