A village feud over who owns extant tree roots behind Vincent van Gogh last painting has been settled after a local mayor lost a court bid to take the land from a couple’s garden.
Just hours before his death 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.
The local authorities tried to take the site under public ownership in 2020, claiming it was part of the public highway.
However, in 2023 a local court ruled against the mayor, and now the matter appears to be settled for once and for all after the Versailles appeal court backed up the previous ruling.
“We are very happy that this is now over,” Ms Serlinger, 68, told The Independent. “The mayor tried to grab the bottom part of the sire by saying it was part of the road, which is terrible.
“But the appeal is very clear, which is great, and now we can use our maximum energy to work on the site and welcome more people from around the world.”
The couple’s love for Van Gogh inspired them to move to the quaint village in 1996.
They acquired the extra land at the bottom of their garden in 2013, but had no idea the roots that lay there were of such significance at the time.
Since the Van Gogh Institute identified the site as the place the Dutch master painted his final masterpiece in 2020, the couple have welcomed visitors from around the globe – including Van Gogh’s family.
Enthusiasts can take a 30-minute tour of their garden for €8 when they open for the season on April 12.
Since the appeal judgement was handed down, Ms Mézières has taken to social media to criticise the couple.
“The roots belong to the people of Auvers!” she wrote, adding that she would be continuing legal action.
“We are taking legal action. There is no question of giving in to the public interest of the people of Auvers over private interests. The question of ownership is not settled.
“It was the city that had the condition of the roots assessed by an expert and called on the Ministry of Culture to preserve the heritage of the people of Auvers. These roots are a common good, not a commercial object!”
Tree Roots is the last work painted by Van Gogh before he shot himself in a nearby wheat field, probably just hours later.
At first sight the painting seems to display a jumble of bright colours in abstract forms, which are in fact a slope with tree trunks and roots.
The work was not entirely completed and Andries Bonger, the brother-in-law of Vincent’s brother Theo, described it in a letter: “The morning before his death, he had painted a sous-bois [forest scene], full of sun and life.”
