Arles, France: Garden of the Hospital in Arles

Vincent Van Gogh spent about a year of his life in Arles around 1888. It wasn't a particularly happy time, as his mental health went downhill and his actions became more eccentric.

Finally and famously, he cut off his left ear after a confrontation with Paul Gauguin. Van Gogh headed for the hospital. According to the tour - when asked why he had done such a thing, Van Gogh replied, "For personal reasons."

The artist went to the hospital twice during the next few months. His room overlooked a garden in a courtyard. That's the view that is shown in his painting, "Garden of the Hospital in Arles."

The painting is located in Switzerland now. Meanwhile, the garden looks very much like it did in 1888. You can stand on a particular spot in the edge of the garden, and in theory you could paint a similar piece to the one Van Gogh did more than 130 years ago. A display on the grounds allows you to compare the two views.

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