Vincent van Gogh

A Corner of the Garden of St Paul’s Hospital at St Rémy

1889

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

View by appointment

Artist: Vincent van Gogh 1853–1890
Medium: Graphite and ink on paper
Dimensions: Support: 622 x 483 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Bequeathed by C. Frank Stoop 1933
Reference: N04716

Display caption

There is no mention of this drawing in van Gogh's letters. Its very twisted, writhing forms suggest that it was made at the time van Gogh was staying at the Hôpital St Paul at St Rémy. It appears to be a view of the hospital garden itself. The irises in bloom in the bottom left-hand corner suggest it was made in the early summer. Van Gogh was at St Rémy from 8 May 1889 to 16 May 1890, which suggest this was probably drawn in about June 1889.

Gallery label, September 2004

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Catalogue entry

Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890

N04716 Corner of the Garden of Saint Paul's Hospital at St Rémy 1889

Not inscribed
Reed pen and ink, pencil and chalk on pinkish paper, 24 1/2 x 19 (62.3 x 48)
Bequeathed by C. Frank Stoop 1933
Prov: Mrs J. van Gogh-Bonger, Amsterdam; C. Frank Stoop, London
Exh: Vincent van Gogh, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, July-August 1905 (470); Vincent van Gogh en zijn Tijdgenooten, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, September-November 930 (115); Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-90, Tate Gallery, December 1947-January 1948 (169); Birmingham City Art Gallery, January-February 1948 (169); Glasgow City Art Gallery, February-March 1948 (169); Vincent van Gogh: Zeichnungen und Aquarelle, Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt, April-June 1970 (62, repr.)
Lit: J.-B. de la Faille, L'Oeuvre de Vincent van Gogh (Paris-Brussels 1928), No.1497, Vol.3, p.149, repr. Vol.4, pl.169 as 'L'Enclos' (and said to have been made at Arles); J.-B. de la Faille, The Works of Vincent van Gogh (Amsterdam 1970), No.F1497, p.521, repr. p.550 as 'Corner of the Garden of Saint Paul's Hospital'
Repr: Zeitschrift für bildende Kunst, N.S. XIX, 1907-8, p.235 as 'Landscape'; Lettres de Vincent van Gogh à Emile Bernard (Paris 1911), pl.61 as 'L'Enclos'

Not mentioned in the letters. Though known at one time as 'Landscape: The Park, Arles', its very twisted, writhing forms prove that it must be of later date when van Gogh was staying at the Hôpital St Paul at St Rémy and it appears to be a view of the hospital garden itself (compare, e.g. F.640, F.660, F.733). In the bottom left-hand corner are some irises in bloom which show that it was made in the early summer. Van Gogh was at St Rémy from 8 May 1889 to 16 May 1890: a dating about June 1889 seems most likely.

Published in:
Ronald Alley, Catalogue of the Tate Gallery's Collection of Modern Art other than Works by British Artists, Tate Gallery and Sotheby Parke-Bernet, London 1981, p.293, reproduced p.293