5 real places that inspired Van Gogh to his greatest paintings

Artists are always inspired by what surrounds them. Take at least Monet's water lilies or the French landscapes of Paul Cezanne. The divinely gifted Vincent Van Gogh was no exception. During his short 37-year life, he managed to live in more than 15 cities in Europe. He moved from place to place in search of creative inspiration and a city where he could calm his tense mind. Here is what he once wrote to his brother Theo: "It constantly seems to me that I am a traveler who is heading somewhere, always to some destination."

Vincent Van Gogh's creations, like the schedule, reflect his trips, places of residence and state of mind in each separate period of time. Each location that he visited not only inspired him, but also shaped his style, influenced productivity. Today we will tell you about five places on our planet that have had a tremendous impact on the life and work of one of the greatest artists in the history of painting.

The Hague, Netherlands

Nuenen, the Netherlands

Paris, France

From 1886 to 1888, the artist spent in Paris, where he learned what impressionism is. Here he communicated with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gauguin and lived near Auguste Renoir. The creativity of all these people had a strong influence on Van Gogh and forced him to develop his free, expressive brush, which later became his hallmark.

Arles, France

Despite the fact that Paris influenced Van Gogh's creative enthusiasm well, he also brought the artist financial difficulties, overwork and almost made him an alcoholic. Trying to put his life and health in order, the Dutchman moved from the French capital to the quiet picturesque city of Arles in the south of France. Amazing Provence fields, vineyards and the endless "seas" of sunflowers so miraculously affected the well-being and work of Van Gogh, that during the year and three months of his stay here he created two hundred paintings.

Saint-Paul-de-Cornes, Saint-Remy-de-Provence, France

The mental health of the Dutch genius was very fragile and was often on the verge of collapse. After several serious disruptions, he moved north from Arles for treatment at the Saint-Paul-de-Mozol clinic. On good days, when the psychological state was more or less tolerant, the artist painted a lot, inspired by the surrounding landscapes. It was here that he finished one of his cult works Starry Night. The dark sky, the twinkling stars and the bright circle of the moon hovering over a small village - this was the view from the window of his room in the clinic, something that was revealed to Van Gogh's eye shortly before the sun began to crawl sleepily out of the horizon.