A vivid tour of the town of Arles, guided by one of its most famous visitors: Vincent van Gogh.
 
Once admired as “a little Rome” on the banks of the Rhône, the town of Arles in the south of France had been a place of significance long before the painter Vincent van Gogh arrived in February of 1888. Aware of Arles’s history as a haven for poets, van Gogh spent an intense fifteen months there, scouring the city’s streets and surroundings in search of subjects to paint when he wasn’t thinking about other places or lamenting his woeful circumstances.
 
In Vincent’s Arles, Linda Seidel serves as a guide to the mysterious and culturally rich town of Arles, taking us to the places immortalized by van Gogh and cherished by innumerable visitors and pilgrims. Drawing on her extensive expertise on the region and the medieval world, Seidel presents Arles then and now as seen by a walker, visiting sites old and new. Roman, Romanesque, and contemporary structures come alive with the help of the letters the artist wrote while in Arles. The result is the perfect blend of history, art, and travel, a chance to visit a lost past and its lingering, often beautiful, traces in the present.
 
 

"Seidel acts as a guide to the places immortalized by Van Gogh in this Provençal city." - The Art Newspaper

"Vincent van Gogh’s 15-month stay in Arles, France, is where he created some of his most iconic paintings, including Cafe Terrace at Night and his Sunflowers series. Art history professor Seidel explores the French town as it was in the late 19th century, when Van Gogh and other artists moved there in search of inspiration, as well as what it’s like today as a visitor." - Book Riot, "Most Anticipated Travel Books of 2023"

"In a fascinating blend of travel, history, and art, Seidel tours the culturally rich town of Arles in southern France and incorporates stories and letters from legendary artist Vincent Van Gogh's life to shed light on the key sites." - The Bookseller (UK)