Mayor loses bid to snatch scene of last Van Gogh work

A village feud over who owns the tree roots featured in Vincent van Gogh's last painting has been settled after a local mayor lost a court bid to take the land from a couple's garden.

- ATHENA STAVROU

Just hours before his death by suicide in July 1890, Van Gogh painted a scene of tangled tree roots in vivid colours - putting his internal struggle on full display.

In 2020, the tree roots he painted were identified in the back garden of 48 Rue Daubigny, in the small riverside village of Auvers-sur-Oise, where the artist spent his final days. Since its discovery, the site has been subject of a bitter row between the owners of the land, Jean-François and Hélène Serlinger, and Auvers’ mayor, Isabelle Mézières.