Vincent Willem van Gogh was one of the most famous Impressionist painters and influential figures in the 1800's. His death was a tragic affair and even more or on how he was buried and what his plain and mundane gravesite is faring. To show more respect to the artist, the village council of Auvers-sur-Oise and members of the Institut Van Gogh seeks to restore the late artist's gravesite.
The two groups wish to raise €1.2m to restore the Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption church and grave of Van Gogh and his brother, Theo, an art dealer, more accessible to visitors and tourists. A storm in 2015 has rattled the roof of the church and is at risk of collapsing.
Regional government units and the states have pledged to contribute about €360,000 while the council would have to raise €120,000 as their contribution to the renovation costs. Currently, they have raised €57,000 and needed more than half of their pledged to hit their goal.
Meanwhile, the Institut Van Gogh is seeking for partnerships with organizations that can raise another $600,000 for the restoration of the cemetery and grave sites. Dominique-Charles Janssens, president of the institute, told The Art Newspaper, "The cemetery was made to welcome 5,000 to 10,000 people a year and we receive an average of 250,000. It's the most visited cemetery in France after Père Lachaise [in Paris]. People were still coming and they had their feet in the water."
Each organization is to further see the development and improvement of the grounds' parking lots and turn it into Van Gogh's "little flowery greenery," a statement he wrote according to a letter he gave his sister Wilhelmina. Sadly, they still need €500,000 more to have the project realized.
The groups need to restore and install proper drainage systems as well as lightings and security features. Individuals can help the project by making a donation to helpvangogh.heoh.net. An animated movie about the life of the artist is yet to come and is dubbed as the "first fully painted animated film."
