Many of the events we associate with Vincent van Gogh took place during the last three years of his life, which ended in 1890. The Dutch artist moved to Arles in 1888, seeking the tranquility and sunlight of the south of France. The artist Paul Gauguin joined him in the fall and the two painted alongside each other. By December of 1888, however, the two were fighting; after a row, Van Gogh mutilated his ear. In May 1889, he moved to an asylum outside the town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, having become too mentally ill to live alone. On the occasion of its 200th anniversary, the National Gallery examines the works that Van Gogh made in Arles and Saint-Rémy, calling it a “decisive period in his career.” The exhibition centers on the themes of poets and lovers, highlighting the connections Van Gogh made between painting and literature, and also looking at his many representations of couples. With around 50 works, this will be the largest Van Gogh show in the U.K. since 2010. —Jeanne Malle