Explore Montmartre Through Van Gogh’s Eyes: Views of Paris

Vincent Van Gogh’s time in Paris may have been brief—lasting only two years before he left for the South of France—but the effect it had on his work was undeniable. Of all the sites that inspired Van Gogh throughout his career, Montmartre stands apart as a place so regularly and vividly depicted by the painter that to walk its streets is to walk a line seldom found anywhere else: one foot in the modern world on the hard cobblestone streets, the other in Van Gogh’s secret, starry world.

When the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Printmakers, etc. launched the Impressionist movement with their 1874 Paris exhibition, they revolutionized the story of art — and Paris’ legacy within it. One hub of this emerging movement was the village of Montmartre. Here, artists, writers, and poets gathered with the working-class residents in cabarets and cafes, sharing ideas and inspirations over drinks and dances that would echo a century later in the pristine halls of some of the finest art museums in the world.

Born out of a desire to reflect the world around them in ways that had often been left out of the canon of classical subjects, this Impressionist group and their ideas grew ever larger as other painters from neighboring countries joined them in this hilltop village. Among their ranks: Vincent Van Gogh.

Van Gogh moved to the City of Light in 1886. There, he shared an apartment with his brother, Theo, a well-established art dealer and one of his closest confidantes. Over the course of his time in the city, he would learn formally under tutors like Fernand Cormon, an established French painter, while expanding his knowledge informally by mingling with his fellow artists such as Monet, Gauguin, and Pissarro.

Many scholars agree that this is where Van Gogh’s style and voice found their beginnings. From Neo-Impressionism to Japanese prints, evidence of emerging and international influences can be seen throughout his work from this time and well beyond.

The Hill of Montmartre with Stone Quarry, June-July 1886

The village of Montmartre is situated on a hill, with stunning views of the entire city that have no doubt inspired the artists who call it home in any century. In this painting though, Van Gogh made the hill itself into a worthwhile view, depicting the rural side of this quickly-growing urban setting. While the side that sits beyond the view of The Hill of Montmartre with Stone Quarry was a bustling hub (you can see some of those famous windmills just over the hilltop), this side was mostly made up of quarries and mills, a stark difference from its other hemisphere.

Painted early in his stay in Paris, it is evident that Van Gogh is still finding his vision and voice. The influence of more traditional styles is easy to spot, and darker colors take the lead — though hints of his whimsical eye are evident.

This particular stone quarry was located on Rue Caulaincourt. You can still walk this street today, passing plenty of boulangeries and cafés along the way. Walk far enough down this road and you will come to Montmartre cemetery, where you can pay a visit to the graves of Alexandre Dumas, Edgar Degas, and other artists who lived and worked in the village.

Painted at around the same time as The Hill of Montmartre with Stone Quarry, Van Gogh’s View of Paris gives us a glimpse at what the painter saw from the southern side of the hill of Montmartre, overlooking Paris. Many of the buildings in the painting have been identified, including Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, and the Panthéon.

The buildings and rooftops are far more detailed than the distant landscape, giving the viewer a sense of perspective and lending the structures a sense of importance. This painting also shows off Van Gogh’s connection to the Naturalist style of painting at this time, again prioritizing the expansive, cloudy sky and muted colors.

Head to the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre on a clear day and look through the tower viewers facing the south to take in the same vista Van Gogh once viewed, with only a century and a half to separate you.

Agostina Segatori Sitting in Le Café du Tambourin, January-March 1887

The Boulevard de Clichy would make several appearances in Van Gogh’s work from this time, in one form or another. The Café du Tambourin, depicted in this painting, was situated on this boulevard just around the corner from Van Gogh’s apartment.

Agostina Segatori, who we see seated at a table in the café, was more than just a patron: She was the owner of the establishment and a model for several works by artists including Degas, Manet, Corot, and, of course, Van Gogh. Here, she is depicted somewhat informally — perhaps a result of the romantic relationship that was rumored to be blooming between the two. Segatori can be seen smoking a cigarette in front of what seems to be her second beer. The table she sits at and its surrounding stools appear to be in the shape of tambourines, a nod to the café’s name and theme.

Like Segatori, the Café du Tambourin was a vibrant character in the lives of Parisian artists at the time. Unable to pay for food and drink, artists like Van Gogh would offer to exhibit their paintings on the walls in exchange instead. This painting, and other portraits the artist would complete and perhaps display on the café walls, shows an evolution in style from those completed less than a year before.

Van Gogh was beginning to explore influences by Japanese artists and trends of the period, including the Ukiyo-e style popularized by the landscapes of Hokusai and Hiroshige. Richer colors and flatter shapes were beginning to be introduced, merging with Western influences and hinting at what was to come later in Van Gogh’s career.

Though the Café du Tambourin of Van Gogh and his contemporaries is gone, you can still pass by its old location along the Boulevard de Clichy.

Van Gogh’s apartment sat on Rue Lepic, a street that led up to the Boulevard de Clichy as depicted here. According to the Van Gogh Museum, Van Gogh’s street would have started right past the right edge of this picture.

Van Gogh depicts a junction that he would cross often, usually on his way to his favorite haunts, like the Café du Tambourin or Le Moulin de la Galette. This period of his work was defined by experiments with new techniques, including that of his contemporary, the Pointillism-pioneer, Paul Signac. In fact, Signac painted this street one year prior, though his rendition reflected the street at a slightly different angle, covered in a thick layer of snow.

Van Gogh’s Boulevard de Clichy utilizes lighter, more vibrant colors in warmer tones, which would become a hallmark of his style later on. The short, quick brush strokes can also be seen here, lending the scene the sense of a fleeting moment that defined the Impressionists.

A walk down the street will, of course, look a bit different today, though you can still find some of the most famous remnants of Montmartre’s bohemian heyday: The Moulin Rouge and Le Chat Noir are just two that you can pay a visit to on your stroll.

View of Paris from Vincent’s Room in the Rue Lepic, March-April 1887

View of Paris from Vincent’s Room in the Rue Lepic is actually the name of two of Van Gogh’s paintings, both depicting the view from his apartment window around a year before he would leave Paris. This version is painted on canvas, and utilizes blues, greens, yellows, reds, and browns to capture the moment.

To achieve this look, Van Gogh used two different methods. The first was the Pointillist technique of stippling small dots onto the canvas, which is especially evident in the shorter building in the image. The other involved the quick dashes painted freely, as seen on many of the rooftops. The scene is full of life and movement and color, three things that would come to be associated with the painter as he gained popularity posthumously — and three things he left Paris to pursue more of, moving to Arles in search of the southern light.

Today, you can visit Van Gogh’s old apartment on Rue Lepic, where a plaque marks the spot.

You may recognize the name of the Moulin de la Galette from its appearance in a few paintings by other masters of Impressionism: Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Bal du Moulin de la Galette shows a Sunday afternoon below the famous windmill, where dancers and diners milled about in the cafés and dance halls just below it. Ludovic-Rodo Pissarro also chose the beloved meeting place as a subject for his work in Le Moulin de la Galette.

Van Gogh’s depiction of the landmark takes on his own unique perspective, showing us the entrance to the venue on what appears to be a quiet moment during the day. The colors used here are significantly lighter and brighter than those used in previous pieces, and the flatness of some of the subjects again echoes the Japanese influences Van Gogh loved so much.

Today, you can dine like the artists: The Moulin de la Galette is now a restaurant on the Rue Lepic, with stunning views and world-class meals served up all day long.

Montmartre Through Van Gogh’s Eyes

Walking through Van Gogh’s Montmartre means walking side by side with one of the greatest artists of all time, through one of the most formative periods of his artistic and personal life.

Whether you make it to all of these spots or just one or two, you’ll find that Montmartre, like the paintings of Van Gogh, is still brimming with life and light.