Van Gogh and Arles

Bonjour à tous!

I've always wanted to write about Arle's rich art historical ties, but the topic is so broad that I frankly don't know where to start. So I guess I'll start with something that interests me the most - Vincent Van Gogh's stay in Arles.

Van Gogh came to Arles in 1888, after his malcontent time in Paris, in search of warm colors that Eugene Delacroix declared to have inspired his paintings. However, Van Gogh didn't have quite enough funds to travel to Africa, where Delacroix had found his inspirations of warm colors and bright sunlight. Instead, Van Gogh decided to settle down in Arles, this small, unpretentious town in Provence, the South of France. It is here that he spent that last two years of his life, and it is also here that he shared his dream of opening the utopic "Studio of the South"with his comrades Paul Gauguin and Emile Bernard. It is also here that he painted the world-famous Starry Night (1889).

source

Ever since I got here, I've been trying to retrace Van Gogh's steps and relive his experiences some 120 years ago. Unfortunately, many original sights that Van Gogh has based his artworks on have been bombed during WWII. However, I did succeed in finding three great spots that are faithful to his paintings.

The first spot is the Cafe of the Night, reconstructed on its original site to mimic Van Gogh's painting Cafe Terrace at Night (1888). The side-by-side comparison is the first picture in this post, a collage made by me.

The second spot is the hospital garden/courtyard where Van Gogh had stayed at during his ill days. Today, the hospital is no longer in use, and has been converted into a tourist hotspot. Every day, many people pay visit to this serene garden, hoping to catch a glimpse of the peaceful sensation that touched Van Gogh back in 1889.

The third spot is the Roman arena in Arles, where Van Gogh had painted a scene of spectacle back during his stay in Arles. Even today, this Roman arena remains a hugely popular (both literally and metaphorically) tourist attraction to travelers all over the world.

That's all for now, friends! Have a wonderful weekend - for those in France, fêtez-bien lundi prochain!

xx
Vanesa :]


UPDATE:

Yesterday was Bastille Day/France Independence Day/National Day, and when I went to watch the firework show with my host family, I chanced upon a fourth Van Gogh artwork-lookalike!

Left: a photo I took on the bank of the Rhone river
Right: Van Gogh's Starry Night Over the Rhone (1988)

Allez! Allez!

Coupe du Monde!

Bonjour à tous! (And happy late Fourth of July to those in America!)

On Friday evening my friends and I met up at the pub to watch the much anticipated World Cup game France vs. Germany. Even though we got to the pub twenty minutes earlier than the actual game, already the place was crawling with people. If two of our friends didn't come an hour earlier to secure a table, we would all have had to watch the game standing. 

Upon entering the bar, I could feel the thick anticipation and patriotism in the air. All around me, people were discussing loudly, throwing out their hands wildly, and constantly tapping the table, as if saying, "Can't we start already?"

On the walls, many French flags ruffled in the breeze that came through the bar's open doors. At the beginning of the game, when the Marseillaise was sung, everyone at the bar started singing (or hollering, really) along with the live broadcast. Being in that atmosphere, it was impossible to not be affected and root for France during the game.

As the game carried on, the crowd in the bar became exponentially a mixture of excitement, anxiety, and tipsy patriotism. Every time the ball even came within sight of the goal, the entire bar erupted into an uproar of "Allez! Allez!" Which is the French version of "Go! Go!" And every time the scoring attempted failed, the invested spectators pounded against the tables, walls, and exploded into booing, cursing, and moaning. During halftime, a band of drummers even came to play outside the bar to hype up the atmosphere, and everyone broke into a wild dance together.

Even though in the end France still lost, I left the bar with good memories. It does not happen every day that one can watch a game in which a country's team is playing in the exact country. All things said, no regrets, and thank you to all the spectators who were there yesterday for the unmatched enthusiasm. 

Keeping my eyes peeled on the last battle for the championship.

xx

Vanessa :]

Marching in style: Festival of Costumes

La Pégoulade

Bonjours à tous!

Even though France lost to Germany in World Cup yesterday (in a heated game which I urgently need to write a separate blogpost about), the Arlesiens marched in total style later last evening. Because - drumroll - it was the annual Pegoulade in Arles! A Pegoulade is where people parade down the main street in town sporting their most proud local costume. In fact, the Pegoulade in Arles has been around for more than 100 years! Last evening, dozens of families - from great-grandma to little babies - participated, not to mention the various bands and at least fifty horses!

The parade lasted about half an hour, and the costumes displayed a wide range of styles representing different social classes, historical periods, age groups, and professions. The professions most pertinent to the Arles area were fishermen, and washwomen, all of whom worked on the the Rhone river in the olden times.

This photo was especially amusing because the word "l'Avenir" on the banner below the little girl means "The future," which I thought was pretty fitting. And on top of that, isn't this little bundle of cuteness just a pure joy to look at?

What touched me the most is how many people participated and how seriously everyone took this event. The older generation marched with dignified and proud looks on their faces, while the teens and younger children worn serious faces as they tried to do every dance, every step meticulously. In honesty, this parade was nothing short of perfection. I was moved to see the people in Arles fiercely proud of their culture, tradition, and identity. With the quick pace of urban life and modernization, something like this is not that easy to find anymore.

xx
Vanessa :]