Horseback Riding in France

In mid-1888 one of the great events in the world of art happened without any fanfare whatsoever. Two giants and founding fathers of modern art, Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin moved into a little yellow house in Provence to collaborate and to explore the beauty of one of the remote areas of France.

Their association during this year had lasting effects. Neither artist seems to have had much influence on the other but their unspoken rivalry grew from this time driving each artist to explore new techniques and to outdo the other.

It was in Provence that Van Gogh was driven to lopping off part of his ear, the incident for which is so much a part of his fame. But it was in Provence that Van Gogh produced over two hundred of his best paintings including the still life of sunflowers which has been reproduced millions of times and his great Starry Night.

Since horseback riding is one of the great arts, and since these two giants of the art world are so closely associated with Provence, it seemed to make sense to develop a horseback riding vacation that brought both worlds together.

You will visit Arles where Van Gogh rented a cottage and you will ride through the countryside that both Van Gogh and Gauguin painted. This is a beautiful countryside and still has the wonderful light that so thrilled these two giants of art.

But this trip is not museum-like; it is an exciting equestrian vacation. There will be horseback riding over fields of lavender, through meadows, orchards and quaint villages. There will be picnic lunches overlooking one of the most beautiful parts of the world. This is a terrific vacation for the rider who is also an art-lover. It is an opportunity to have fun on a horse and learn about one of the great art movements and artists of the 19th Century.