Harry MC's Unique Stripe Paintings Inspired by Van Gogh's Asylum Rooms

In a remarkable intersection of art and history, British stripe painter Harry MC has unveiled a new series of intimate stripe paintings after gaining access to a previously closed section of the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. This psychiatric clinic is renowned for being the place where Vincent van Gogh spent a year during his tumultuous battle with mental health in 1889-90. The newly accessible first-floor rooms include the offices of Dr. Théophile Peyron, a 19th-century pharmacy, and the hydrotherapy baths that van Gogh himself detailed in letters to his brother Theo.

During his recent fieldwork trip to Provence, Harry focused not on historical documentation but rather on capturing the essence and atmosphere of these spaces to inspire his artwork. He notes that the moment he arrived, he felt an overwhelming sense of geometric patterns populating the environment. The tiled corridors created a dynamic play of vertical textures, while the light filtered through olive trees and enveloped him in warm and cool stripes.

Harry's photographic exploration of the hydrotherapy room—a space adorned with its original galvanized steel baths and worn grey flagstones—was particularly striking. In his words, “The structure stays vertical, but the colour stays human,” highlighting his innovative dry-brush technique, which merges the softness of blurred hues with sharply defined stripes. This technique allows for a painting experience that reacts to light and space in a uniquely human way.

One notable painting from this collection features a vertical composition using a blend of ochre yellows, deep greens, blacks, and whites, all inspired by the colors of the Provence landscape and the interiors of the asylum. The work beautifully illustrates the moving light through the corridors and rooms, with stark separation of stripes on one side transitioning into blurred edges on the other. Each work reflects the artist’s sensitivity to both the environment and the legacy of Van Gogh, whose own struggles are deeply rooted in these very walls.

The first-floor spaces, including serene nuns' dormitories and original pharmacological artifacts, had long remained closed to the public, making access to them even more significant. Van Gogh famously wrote about his therapeutic baths—“Twice a week I have a bath—cold and hot alternately—which does me a lot of good”—and now these rooms are finally able to connect visitors with his past experiences and creative energy.

Harry’s latest series has resulted in smaller, more intimate pieces, diverging from his often large-scale works that reach up to 10 feet. Despite their smaller size, these new creations invite viewers to engage with the artwork on a more personal level. They emphasize Harry's commitment to exploring how color conveys light and lived experiences, drawing on a lineage of stripe painting that connects him to artists like Bridget Riley and Sean Scully.

Through his exhibition, Harry MC encourages people to appreciate how creativity emerges from history, illustrating the poignant link between Van Gogh's legacy and the artist's own work. Additionally, a collection of high-resolution photographs capturing the interiors of the Saint-Rémy asylum can be viewed on the