Van Gogh Painted This 9 Weeks Before He Died

Van Gogh painted Blossoming Chestnut Trees (Chestnut Trees in Blossom, Châtaigniers en fleurs) in Auvers-sur-Oise in May 1890, nine weeks before he died. Unseen in public since 1964, it goes to auction at Sotheby's New York on November 18, 2026, with an estimate of around $180 million. He had just left the asylum at Saint-Rémy, his brother Theo was paying for everything, and he called the picture "a study of chestnut trees." This is the story of that spring in Auvers, his last 65 days, the woman who made him famous, and how the painting travelled from Paris to Berlin, Hollywood and Buenos Aires before vanishing for sixty years. 00:00 The $180 million Van Gogh 00:42 Out of the asylum: May 1890 01:19 How Van Gogh painted Blossoming Chestnut Trees 03:08 Van Gogh's last 65 days 04:33 Jo Bonger, the woman who made Van Gogh famous 05:20 The painting's journey: Paris to Buenos Aires 07:19 The figure in blue 08:06 What a Van Gogh is worth today Sources: The Art Newspaper, "The story behind the $180m Van Gogh up for auction this November" (October 2, 2026) The Art Newspaper, "$450m Impressionist collection, including a potentially record-breaking Van Gogh painting, to be sold at Sotheby's New York" (September 30, 2026) CNN Style, the Blaquier-Arrieta collection at Sotheby's (September 30, 2026) Vincent van Gogh, letters to Theo van Gogh, Auvers-sur-Oise, May–July 1890 (Van Gogh Museum edition, vangoghletters.org) Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam Painting: Vincent van Gogh, Blossoming Chestnut Trees (Châtaigniers en fleurs), May 1890. Private collection. Artworks and period photographs shown are in the public domain (Wikimedia Commons, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, Van Gogh Museum, Nationaal Archief, Library of Congress). VELATURA — The stories behind the masterpieces. #VanGogh #ArtHistory #Art