We think we know everything about Vincent van Gogh. The sunflowers, the wheat fields, the severed ear, the misunderstood genius. A saturated image, reproduced endlessly, almost consumed by popular culture.

And yet. In Auvers-sur-Oise, the very place where the artist spent the last months of his life, the major exhibition at the Château d'Auvers offers a welcome shift in perspective: to look at Van Gogh not as an isolated figure, but as a node in a network of influences. An artist permeated by references, who in turn became a vital source of inspiration for entire generations.

The title is surprising. “Influencer”—the word seems anachronistic. Yet it is remarkably apt.

Van Gogh didn't just paint. He absorbed, transformed, transmitted. Japanese prints, the Barbizon School, Millet, Rembrandt: his vision was built through dialogue. His bold compositions, vibrant flat planes, and heightened colors didn't emerge from nothing. They extend existing lineages, radicalize them, and shift their focus.

Curated by Wouter van der Veen, a renowned specialist on the painter's life and work, the exhibition begins there: at the source. It shows Van Gogh as a reader, a collector of prints, and an attentive observer. An artist who looks before being looked at.

Then the movement reverses. From 1890 onward, the wave spread. Expressionism seized upon its chromatic intensity. The Fauves reclaimed its freedom in relation to the motif. Modern and contemporary artists found in its gesture an untamed energy.

Bringing together original works, prints, archives, and contemporary creations, the exhibition traces this unbroken chain in a play of resonances. Van Gogh traverses the 20th century and invites himself into the present. At a time when the word “influence” has become commonplace, the exhibition restores its depth. To influence is not to dominate. It provokes a shift. A transformation.

Van Gogh has perhaps never been so contemporary.

AUVERS-SUR-OISE CASTLE
From April 18, 2026 to January 3, 2027
Rue François Mitterrand, 95430 Auvers-sur-Oise
Tue. to Sun. 10am-6pm. - Closed on Mon.
Price: €12 - Reduced price: €7