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LACRIMAE RERVM Gallery

Exhibition

The Great Consolation

So it remains a great consolation to me that the work goes forward rather than back.

To his mother, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, 19 September 1889 · letter 803

The same phrase in Vincent van Gogh’s hand
In Vincent’s hand: letter 803, sheet 1, lines 29–31 · Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, b654 V/1962

Vincent Willem van Gogh 1853–1890

Avenue of Poplars in Autumn
Avenue of Poplars in Autumn, October 1884

Ah! mon cher ami, faire de la peinture ce qu’est déjà avant nous la musique de Berlioz et de Wagner.... un art consolateur pour les coeurs navrés! Il n’y a encore que quelques uns qui comme vous et moi le sentent!!!

Ah, my dear friend, to make of painting what the music of Berlioz and Wagner has already been before us… an art of consolation for broken hearts! There are as yet only a few who feel this as you and I do!!!

To Paul Gauguin, Arles, 21 January 1889 · letter 739

je croirais presque que ces toiles vous diront ce que je ne sais dire en paroles, ce que je vois de sain et de fortifiant dans la campagne.

I would almost believe that these canvases will tell you what I cannot say in words, what I see that is healthy and fortifying in the country.

To Theo and Jo van Gogh, Auvers-sur-Oise, about 10 July 1890 · letter 898
Gallery number
LR 4
Section
Painting
Works
100
Opened
25 November 2008

Appendices · Appendices

  1. ISupplementary materialWhere each work is held: collection, acquisition, inscriptions, exhibitions, literature.
  2. IIIndexEvery work in the exhibition in a single table: dates, catalogue numbers, collections, inventory numbers.
  3. IIIDossier of the principal workAvenue of Poplars in Autumn: letters and autographs, verses copied in his hand, first notices, canvas and frame, provenance, exhibitions, literature.
  4. IVCorrectionsWhat was wrong in the record of the exhibition, and when it was put right; latest correction: 4 October 2026.

Music of the room

Die Ehre Gottes aus der NaturLudwig van Beethoven · sung by Friedrich SchorrBrunswick 10160-A, matrix 12901, 1924

Vincent names Beethoven in a letter to Theo from Saint-Rémy in the same September days of 1889 as the letter to his mother that gave the exhibition its title. Copying Millet, he compares himself to a performer: ‘si telle personne jouera du Beethoven elle y ajoutera son interprétation personelle – en musique et alors surtout pour le chant’: ‘if this or that person plays Beethoven, that person will bring a personal interpretation to it – in music, and then above all in singing’ (letter 805). What he himself heard the letters do not say. Die Ehre Gottes aus der Natur, the fourth of six songs on poems by Gellert, op. 48 (1803), is a paraphrase of the nineteenth Psalm: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God.’

  1. Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear1889
  2. Women on the Peat Moor Women on the Peat MoorOctober 1883
  3. The Sower The Sower1888
  4. Self-Portrait Self-Portraitspring 1887
  5. View of the Sea at Scheveningen View of the Sea at ScheveningenAugust 1882
  6. Field with Irises near Arles Field with Irises near Arles1888
  7. The Siesta The Siesta1889–90
  8. Moulin de la Galette Moulin de la Galette1886
  9. The Zouave The ZouaveJune 1888
  10. The Yellow House (The Street) The Yellow House (The Street)1888
  11. Sunflowers SunflowersJanuary 1889
  12. Le café de nuit (The Night Café) Le café de nuit (The Night Café)1888
  13. Portrait of Trabuc, an Attendant at Saint Paul’s Hospital Portrait of Trabuc, an Attendant at Saint Paul’s Hospital1889
  14. Wheatfield with Crows Wheatfield with Crows1890
  15. Portrait of Dr Gachet Portrait of Dr GachetJune 1890
  16. Mountains at Saint-Rémy Mountains at Saint-Rémy1889
  17. Pine Trees at Sunset Pine Trees at SunsetDecember 1889
  18. Footbridge across a Ditch Footbridge across a DitchAugust–September 1883
  19. Street and Stairs with Five Figures Street and Stairs with Five Figures1890
  20. Portrait of Madame Trabuc Portrait of Madame Trabucautumn 1889
  21. Terrace of a Café at Night (Place du Forum) Terrace of a Café at Night (Place du Forum)1888
  22. A View of Arles A View of Arles1889
  23. Self-Portrait Self-Portrait1889
  24. First Steps, after Millet First Steps, after Millet1890
  25. The Church at Auvers The Church at Auvers1890
  26. La Maison de La Crau (The Old Mill) La Maison de La Crau (The Old Mill)1888
  27. View of a Butcher’s Shop View of a Butcher’s ShopFebruary 1888
  28. Reminiscence of Brabant Reminiscence of BrabantMarch–April 1890
  29. Ears of Wheat Ears of WheatJune 1890
  30. Fishing Boats on the Beach at Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer Fishing Boats on the Beach at Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-MerJune 1888
  31. The Road Menders The Road Menders1889
  32. The Potato Eaters The Potato Eaters1885
  33. The Postman (Joseph-Étienne Roulin) The Postman (Joseph-Étienne Roulin)1889
  34. Poppies in the Field Poppies in the Field1889
  35. The Raising of Lazarus (after Rembrandt) The Raising of Lazarus (after Rembrandt)May 1890
  36. Bridge at Arles (Pont de Langlois) Bridge at Arles (Pont de Langlois)1888
  37. Roses Roses1890
  38. Evening Landscape Evening Landscape1885
  39. Shoes Shoes1886
  40. The Green Wheatfield behind the Asylum The Green Wheatfield behind the Asylum1889
  41. Pietà (after Delacroix) Pietà (after Delacroix)September 1889
  42. Farm with Stacks of Peat Farm with Stacks of PeatOctober 1883
  43. The Smoker (Le Fumeur) The Smoker (Le Fumeur)February 1888
  44. Gauguin’s Chair Gauguin’s ChairNovember 1888
  45. The Old Tower in the Fields The Old Tower in the FieldsAugust 1884
  46. The Garden of Saint Paul’s Hospital The Garden of Saint Paul’s Hospital1889
  47. The White Orchard The White OrchardApril 1888
  48. Country Road in Provence by Night Country Road in Provence by Night1890