Auvers-sur-oise, a village near Paris, is an artist’s paradise and a place where Vincent Van Gogh spends his last day, which has long attracted tourists to step into the last steps of the tortured painter. But there has been conflict in the town since art experts determined his last job before he made a living.
Van Gogh’s last painting has been controversial for decades because he did not date his work. But in 2020, experts concluded that, as he portrayed in his “roots” on the day of his death, the roots that stretched out from the hillside of Auvers. This discovery may have resolved one dispute but immediately sparked another, a dispute between a municipality and the owner of the property that grew up in the roots.
The main source of the painting is from the black locust tree, called “elephant” by enthusiasts – adjacent to a public road. After discovering its historical value, the municipality claimed that a portion of private land near the road was public sphere, saying it was essential for maintenance. Jean-François and Hélène Serlinger, the owner of the property, fought against the village, and the Court of Appeal recently concluded that the city’s claims had no basis.
However, Ivers mayor Isabelle Mézières has promised to continue the fight and she can still appeal to the High Court. After the decision, she insisted that the site should belong to the public, not to a private owner. “The roots belong to Auversois!” she wrote on social media, referring to citizens of the region.
The ongoing struggle with Van Gogh’s roots has led to debate on the usual celebration season of auvers (population 7,000), where art tourism is a large enterprise that heats up in the spring.
Other famous painters portrayed the village, including Pierre Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne and Camille Pissaro. Only adds its appeal. Its popularity has allowed French transit authorities to run a seasonal line from Paris, known as the “Impressionist train”, where people come from afar and see what the local tourism bureau calls “auvers over time, open-air museums have become over time.”
The property owner said that the conflict is endangering the historic sites because the mayor has established meaning, as it has prevented them and experts from properly protecting the root cause. In a telephone interview, Mr. Ssellinger accused the municipality of using administrative cases as an excuse for “trying to take over places of cultural significance” and simultaneously endangering the root cause by “obstructing the installation of permanent protective structures.” ”
The municipality and mayor declined a request for comment. However, these tree roots should be the subject of such disputes.
Van Gogh’s famous paintings depict tangled trees, showing “the struggle of life, the struggle of death.”
Nevertheless, the painting is bright and lively, made at the end of Van Gogh’s troubled survival – after he famously cut off his ears and spent time on shelter – the village celebrates the Dutch painter whose work was rejected in his life and embraced after his death. Van Gogh is a major attraction, including for the spine team.
The couple moved to Auvers in 1996 because the artist Mrs. Salinger wanted to live where Van Gogh worked. In 2013, they purchased a small piece of land near the house that was connected to the yard and expanded their territory. Just a few years later, it turns out that the roots of new property are an important part of art history.
Now, the roots have their own website and nonprofit organization run by Cerlingers, who say they want to protect the public’s enjoyment. They have In partnership with the Van Gogh Europh Foundation, the foundation brings together key locations and museums and connects with painters under the guidance of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Last year, the spine team began opening the yard to visitors.
Mr Serlinger insisted that the couple had no intention of bringing the yard to their destination and did not profit from the tour. He noted that the main roots were mostly visible on the roads, although the municipality placed a 10-foot sign there that highlighted the discovery partially blocked the view and “front of the disfigured site.”
He said the enthusiasm of art experts and scholars over the years has led the couple to announce the opening of land to the public. He added that they are now charging about $9 for a 30-minute “stroll through Van Gogh’s last painting landscape”, adding that the funds will be used for the preservation fee.
Saturday is the beginning of the new tourism season. However, this dispute disturbed the owner of the property and raised concerns about the preservation of the foundation.
“It creates a deep sense of insecurity around a website that requires peace and peace,” Salinger said. “We have insecurity with the mayor who is still in war.”
