The Bedroom

A secret revealed by X-ray scientific analysis concerns the portraits on the right wall. In the first version (Amsterdam), Van Gogh initially painted portraits of his friends Eugène Boch and Milliet. Later, he altered these faces in subsequent versions. Pigment analysis also proved the walls were not originally blue, but a pale violet. Over time, the red pigment degraded, leaving the blue we see today, thus altering the artist's intended chromatic balance. Another mystery lies in the instability of the perspective. It was long thought that Van Gogh painted this way due to vertigo or neurological disorders. However, plans of the Yellow House showed the room itself was not square: it had an obtuse angle. Van Gogh simply accentuated this architectural quirk to create a visual suction effect. Furthermore, the total lack of contact with the outside (closed windows) is rare in his work. Letter n°705 to Theo contains a detailed sketch of the canvas where Vincent specifies that mirror frames and toilet accessories must be white to represent physical and moral cleanliness. There are three authentic versions (Amsterdam, Chicago, Paris). The Chicago version was painted while he was in the asylum at Saint-Rémy, as a nostalgic reminiscence of his brief period of happiness in Arles. Finally, recent analysis of the stretcher wood suggests Van Gogh used salvaged wood for some versions, confirming his chronic financial difficulties. The bed itself, bought with money sent by Theo, was his most precious possession. After his ear crisis, it was in this same bed that he rested, transforming the painted object into a silent witness to his psychological collapse. The slightly ajar doors suggest that despite the retreat, the artist feared an intrusion or awaited a visit that would never come.