Provence: In the Footsteps of Van Gogh

Cox & Kings, official Travel Partner for the exhibition is offering an exclusive holiday, Provence: In the Footsteps of Van Gogh from the 3 – 10 May and led by 'The Real Van Gogh' curator Ann Dumas.

Ann is a specialist in 19th and 20th century French art and is a curator at the Royal Academy of Arts. Among the other exhibitions she has curated at the Royal Academy are '1900: Art at the Crossroads'; 'Matisse: his Art and his Textiles' and 'From Russia'.

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) moved to Arles in the spring of 1888. The luminous landscape - ‘the land of blue tones and gay colours’ - was a revelation to him. Discover many of the motifs that inspired his most celebrated works of art during this tour: in Arles, as well as in Saint-Rémy, where he lived in an asylum in 1889, and in Auvers in the north of France where he spent his last months in 1890.

Vincent Van Gogh, 'Cypresses', June 1889. Oil on canvas, 93.3 x 74 cm. Lent by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Rogers Fund, 1949 (49.30). Photo © 2009. Digital Image / The Metropolitan Museum of Art / Art Resource / Scala Day 1 To Arles: Fly from London Heathrow to Marseille and transfer to Arles for 5 nights at the Hotel Jules Cesar. Van Gogh stayed here from February 1888 to May 1889, finding the qualities of light and colour he was searching for.

Day 2 Arles: Full day sightseeing, taking in the sites that inspired some of Van Gogh’s famous paintings including Le Café “Le Soir”, La Nuit Étoilée, La Maison Jaune, Le Jardin Public, Le Pont de Langlois and Le Pont de Trinquetaille. Visit the Roman Arenas, the Antique Theatre, Saint-Trophime Church and Cloister, and the Alyscamps Cemetery, which also inspired Gauguin during his stay in Arles.

Day 3 Nimes & Arles: Morning visit to the Musée de l’Arles Antique, which houses a rich collection of local pagan, Roman and early Christian art. Afternoon drive via Tarascon to Nîmes, whose most important Roman sites - the Arenas, Maison Carrée and Jardin de la Fontaine - were built under Emperor Augustus.

Day 4 Saint Remy & Les Baux de Provence: Morning drive to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where Van Gogh stayed under care at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole Asylum from May 1889 to May 1890. During his time here, Van Gogh created around 150 paintings and drawings. Follow the ‘Van Gogh Trail’, along the 21 signposts that indicate the exact points where the artist placed his easel. Also visit the Augustus Mausoleum and Arch of Triumph. Afternoon drive to Les-Baux-de-Provence, a remarkable site built around an 11th century fortress.

Day 5 Camargue: Morning at leisure. Afternoon drive to the Camargue, a large preserved area of marshlands with herds of black bull and white horses. On the coast, the village of Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer is known for its annual “Pélerinage des Gitans”. Walk along the narrow streets around the Romanesque steeple.

Day 6 To Paris: Morning drive to Avignon. Surrounded by its ramparts, the city is dominated by the imposing Palace of the Popes, with 14th century frescoes designed by Italian artists. Transfer to the railway station and take the high-speed train to Paris. Transfer to the Hotel Concorde Lafayette for 2 nights.

Day 7 Paris & Auvers sur Oise: Morning excursion to Auvers-sur-Oise, the village where Van Gogh settled for two months upon his return from Arles. Visit Van Gogh’s small attic room at Auberge Ravoux, the cemetery where he is buried and the House of Dr. Gachet. Continue to the sites that inspired such masterpieces as L’Eglise d’Auvers and Champs aux Corbeaux, among other works of this period. Return to Paris for a visit to the Orsay Museum, paying particular attention to the works of Van Gogh and his contemporaries. Farewell dinner in Montmartre, where Van Gogh met his fellow artists during his stay in Paris.

Day 8 To London: Morning at leisure. Afternoon transfer to the airport for the return flight to London Heathrow.

Duration: 7 Nights
Price: £2695
Special Price: Single supplement: £475

To book, call 020 7873 5000 quoting ref RAVG.