Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin lived and worked together for a short period in Arles. How did they get to know each other?
Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin met in Paris in November 1887. In November and December of the same year, Vincent organised an exhibition in the restaurant where he often dined – the Grand Bouillon-Restaurant du Chalet on the Avenue de Clichy.
Exchanging works
The exhibition featured approximately 100 of Vincent’s paintings, alongside works by Toulouse-Lautrec, Anquetin, Bernard and Koning. Gauguin’s visit to the exhibition was his first encounter with Vincent’s work. It would appear that he liked what he saw, as the two artists decided to exchange works.
High poetry
As an influential modern art dealer, Theo van Gogh was naturally also an important contact for Gauguin. Shortly after the exhibition, Theo bought one of Gauguin’s paintings for his own collection. It was the most expensive art purchase Theo had ever made, and Vincent described it as ‘high poetry’.
