Perhaps the painting has been regarded as a fake because it is quite mellow and lacks some of the more bright colors often used by Vincent. "Sunset at Montmajour" has similarities with the "View of Arles with Irises in the Foreground."
Perhaps we should ask ourselves what was van Gogh eating in Arles while he was working on such iconic paintings as "Cafe Terrace at Night?" I did some research and realized that food was probably not the inspiration of Vincent van Gogh's art. He lived a frugal life and spent most of his money on art supplies. It could be said that he sacrificed his enjoyment of food so that we could enjoy more of his art. In a letter to Theo van Gogh, Vincent explains that he "breakfasted on a piece of dry bread and a glass of beer." His main choices of foods were dry bread, pickles, potatoes or chestnuts. Occasionally he would have some fried fish.
From the letters that Vincent wrote I got the impression that his choice of food was due to necessity rather than choice. He could not afford a full meal very often. It would be nice if we could travel back in time and have lunch with van Gogh. Where could we invite him today in Arles? I suppose somewhere close to the Place du Forum where he painted the Cafe Forum in "Cafe Terrace at Night."
The Hotel Jvles Cesar might be a bit too luxurious. Yet, Vincent would probably enjoy the nice terrace at hotel's restaurant, the Lou Marques. It's a quiet and colorful setting, perfect for a nice September lunch. The set menu is surprisingly affordable at 21 Euros. Some of the choices in the menu would undoubtedly please even a more humble palate:
- Salade de saumon mariné à l’aneth sur un lit de riz de Camargue au basilic
- Filet de plie pané à la noisette, fricassée de topinambours et pomme de terre
- Aumônière aux pommes caramélisées à la cannelle
Another good choice in Arles would be the "Le 16." It has a set menu for 25 Euros which includes dessert. The menu has traditional offerings in a cozy and rustic setting:
- Oeufs Cocotte au lard fume
- Filet de daurade a l'huile d'olive
- Palette de sorbets
Over lunch we could ask Vincent why in his opinion we now have difficulty ascribing the painting to him. Or we could ask him if he believes that art has a place on the plate. Or we could come out with ideas for a menu based on his diet and its ingredient: beer, dry bread, pickles, fried fish, chestnuts and potatoes. How can these ingredients be revisited and mixed to create a van Gogh menu?
Let's start painting with flavors.
