Van Gogh’s letters as living echoes in ‘A Winter’s Tale’

At the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles, a new exhibition turns to Van Gogh’s letters as both source and destination. To Vincent: A Winter’s Tale, on view from November 30th, 2025 to April 21st, 2026, brings together works by modern and contemporary artists who respond to Vincent van Gogh’s correspondence as if writing back to him across time.

Set in Arles, the city where Van Gogh’s life and art took a decisive turn, the exhibition explores his Provençal years through themes drawn from his letters—landscape, light, friendship, solitude, and artistic doubt—revealing how his words continue to resonate today.

Van Gogh’s letters as a living dialogue

Rather than focusing on biography alone, the curators frame the exhibition as an exchange. Twenty-one artists from different generations present works conceived as visual or conceptual letters addressed to Van Gogh, echoing his idea of being part of an ongoing chain of artists. Alongside these responses, visitors encounter original Van Gogh letters, including a handwritten note to Paul Gauguin, as well as two paintings on loan from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Artists in conversation

Several projects stand out for the way they translate Van Gogh’s ideas into contemporary form. Anselm Kiefer presents drawings he made in Provence as a teenager, reflecting on artistic inheritance and pilgrimage. Rineke Dijkstra approaches portraiture with a quiet intensity that recalls Van Gogh’s search for inner truth, while Wolfgang Tillmans uses photography to meditate on light and perception—concerns central to Vincent’s writing and painting alike.

Other contributions range from sculptural works by Hans Josephsohn to newly commissioned pieces by artists such as Louise Sartor and Jacopo Benassi, each offering a personal response to the painter’s thoughts and struggles.

Fondation Vincent Van Gogh Arles and Van Gogh’s enduring legacy

By weaving together historical documents, iconic works, and contemporary interpretations, the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles positions To Vincent: A Winter’s Tale as more than a retrospective. It is an intimate, layered portrait of an artist whose letters remain a testing ground for ideas—and a reminder that Van Gogh’s voice continues to inspire new forms of creation.