Van Gogh at St Paul
Vincent Van Gogh arrived at the Maison de Santé, St Paul on 08 May 1889 - he would remain for 53 weeks. Although a voluntary admission, Van Gogh had few options following his traumatic period in Arles which ended violently with the notorious self-mutilation of his ear. By then, most of the local residents had lost patience and wanted him out. Gaugin was keen to return home, Vincent needed a safe and supportive environment in which to recover.

In the 19th century, the Maison de Sante at St Paul de Mausolé was a privately run Asylum for men and women. Situated on the outskirts of St Rémy de Provence overlooking the Alpilles and the ruined Roman town of Glanum, it was and still is a peaceful and inspiring environment.

At the time of his arrival, many of the rooms were unoccupied and so there was space for Vincent to have a studio. The Director, Dr Peyron, allowed him to paint provided that this was not too exhausting; and there were periods when he was forbidden from doing so. Despite enduring four serious fits and subsequent unproductive periods of recovery, during his 373 days at St Paul, Vincent Van Gogh produced a total of 143 paintings and 150 drawings including some of his most famous works.

At first confined to his room, Vincent was obliged to take paintings from old masters as his inspiration - in particular he reinterpreted many works by his beloved Delacroix and Millet. Once allowed to work outside, he immediately consumed the surrounding gardens and countryside producing legendary paintings such as 'Starry Night' 'Wheat field with Cypress' and most famous of all, 'Irises'.

While the practice of art-therapy was not yet developed, Dr Peyron recognised that allowing Vincent controlled access to his work could have therapeutic benefits. Today, at the same location, patients are able to benefit from art-therapy as an integrated part of their treatment.

As with so much of his life, Vincent's time at the Asylum is detailed in his letters to his brother Theo. By the time that he left, his condition had apparently improved but he was not 'cured'. This was recognised by the fact that his next home would be deliberately located near to amiable Dr Gachet, who was asked to monitor Vincent's condition. Clearly this was not enough, because two months later he was dead, apparently from suicide.

There has been much retrospective discussion about Van Gogh's condition and indeed whether this condition actually contributed or was essential to his art.

Under modern diagnosis he would likely be considered to be suffering manic-depressive psychosis with acute delirious and hallucinatory episodes - a condition which can be treated with various drugs, outpatient monitoring, psychotherapy, periods of confinement and access to art-therapy. Van Gogh in the 21st century could hope for better and more effective care with a reduced risk of suicide. He might however still be vulnerable to periods of depression, suffering and even collapse.

Dr Jean-Marc Boulon who is today a resident psychiatrist at the Maison de Santé de St Paul de Mausole believes that modern treatments could have greatly improved Vincent Van Gogh's quality of life without modifying his mental, emotional and cognitive procedures - leaving him free to fulfil his artistic expression.

With special thanks to Dr Jean-Marc Boulon for the use of materials and ideas adapted from his booklet: 'Vincent Van Gogh's life, works and illnesses'' ISBN : 2-9525445-0-6 9782952544504