Cultural capital underfoot: who gets the spot of Van Gogh's final brushstroke?

A piece of French soil, a painting of incalculable value and a legal battle: the court in Versailles is weighing in on who will claim the site where Van Gogh painted Tree Roots in Auvers-sur-Oise.

A piece of French soil, a priceless painting and a legal battle: the court in Versailles is considering whether the location of Tree Roots, Van Gogh's very last work, belongs to the public or should remain private. The French couple who once unsuspectingly bought the plot turns out to be the owners of a piece of land with cultural capital worth millions.

It all started with a yellowed postcard from the early twentieth century. Wouter van der Veen, scientific director of the Institut Van Gogh, discovered a hill with whimsical tree structures that reminded him very much of Van Gogh's mysterious painting Tree rootsWhen he placed the map next to the work, everything fell into place. The spot was less than 150 meters from Auberge Ravoux, the inn where Van Gogh spent his last weeks.

After extensive research, confirmed by the Van Gogh Museum and a forest historian, it turned out to be a marl wall with trees – exactly as depicted in the painting. And even more striking: one of those stumps still exists. 

Cultural heritage… or private property?

In the meantime, the story of this painting spot has become a legal headache. The mayor of Auvers-sur-Oise wants to open the spot to the public. She calls it “a cultural monument that belongs to the community.” But the Court of Appeal in Versailles thinks differently.

The judges sided with Jean-François and Hélène Serlinger, the unsuspecting owners of the plot since 2013. Although the plot of land is part of the public road, the couple retains ownership rights. The municipality is therefore not allowed to intervene without further ado. The mayor is now considering appealing again.