As is well-known, artist Vincent van Gogh admitted himself to the Saint Paul de Mausole Asylum at Saint-Rémy de Provence in 1889, a year after he famously cut off his own ear. Van Gogh painted a number of works during his time at the asylum including Starry Night.

What does not appear to be as well-known: the complete collection of Vincent van Gogh’s letters, a total of 874 letters, is available online. The letters were published originally in print in 2000 and consist primarily of communication between the artist and his family.

For AHP readers, I recommend the letters written during van Gogh’s later years – those written during his stay at the asylum (May 1889-May 1890) and those written in the year of his suicide when was staying with Dr. Paul Gachet in Auvers-sur-Oise (1890).

For more information on Van Gogh’s stay at the asylum, the following selection of titles may be of assistance:

Arnold, W. N. (2004). The illness of Vincent van Gogh. Journal of the History of the Neurosciences, 13(1), 22-43.

Redfield Jamison, K. (1993). Touched with fire: Manic-depressive illness and the artistic temperament. NY: The Free Press.

As was announced by Mind Hacks earlier this summer, The British Journal of Psychiatry published correspondence related to van Gogh’s time at the asylum.