FRENCH JOURNEY - PROGRAMME 1

AUVERS-SUR-OISE - VAN GOGH

North of Paris in the valley of the River Oise lies Auvers, a favourite haunt of artists for over a hundred years. Van Gogh came to live here in 1890. He was so inspired by the place and the light that he painted 70 canvases in 70 days.

Many of today’s residents are also artists themselves. Michel Charpentier is a sculptor whose grandfather knew Van Gogh.

Michel Charpentier:   Van Gogh was primarily a master at drawing.  He'd always drawn things.  Then he became a colourist, but he drew with colour -  this is the extraordinary thing in his canvases.  He draws tone upon tone.   He uses Veronese greens,  Suruliom greens - he plays with colours,  but on top of the drawing.  And he combined all this with passion and that's Van Gogh's strength - the passion of line and colour.  My grandfather had a fortune, and one day Van Gogh came and offered to sell him some canvases.  But he didn't want them.  He said they were too vivid, too bright, too strong.  At that time artists were using bitumen-based colours, except Van Gogh, who used colours straight from the tube.

This is where Van Gogh lived in Auvers - the Auberge Ravoux - humble lodgings paid for by his brother. His old room at the inn has been preserved.  His patron was Doctor Gachet, one of the few people who encouraged him and bought his work. And this was the house in which Mademoiselle Gachet, the doctor’s daughter - posed for him at the piano.

Michel Charpentier:   The canvases he painted of Mlle Gachet at the piano - it's a love story.  He was in love, she sat for him.  The brush strokes have such sensitivity, you can feel something that you can't see.  There's something that makes you feel,   "He was so much in love!"   It's a story of true love.

Van Gogh died in Auvers from a gunshot wound. He was only 37.  Like most people, Michel Charpentier believes it was suicide - the natural conclusion - he feels - to a tragic and tormented life.

Michel Charpentier:  Van Gogh was rushing towards death.  Everything was against him  Gachet, his brother,the people of Auvers, painting itself.  I don't know what he could have done after "The Crows in the Field".   Everything was pushing him towards death, towards perfection.  I believe perfection is death.

Van Gogh died penniless and unrecognised. His simple grave - at Auvers’ little cemetery - is right next to the cornfields his paintings made famous. Today the artists of Auvers have things a little easier. The French Government is their patron, subsidising their studios so that the artistic tradition of Auvers can continue to flourish.  Photographer Olivier Verley is making quite a name for himself.  He takes his inspiration from the unique light which is present in all the canvases, the same light which is in the works of Van Gogh.

Olivier Verley:   I belong to that school of landscape photography which respects tradition, the earth, the elements.  I don't really like the way people manipulate images these days.  My approach is quite classical.   

It's when something's happening in the sky that I poke my head outside.   It's the sky which sculpts the landscape and decides what happens on the earth - the way light falls on the ground.  The sky is a natural artist.

It's true that on this plateau at Auvers there's a special kind of light.  No doubt it's this light that attracted painters and still attracts them -  other painters, photographers - all kinds of people who love the land.  

I can't say what's so special about this light.  Just that I live here and living here makes me want to love it.

Copyright BBC 2000.