In 1889 Van Gogh left Arles and he voluntarily entered Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, a psychiatric facility in nearby Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. At the institution the staff set up a small atelier for him so he could paint and express his artistic feelings when he had a rare, bright moment. The asylum was only half occupied when Vincent arrived, that is why he got this second room. In the institution there were seperate enclosures for male and female patients. During his stay there were 19 men and 23 women treated in the Asylum. Irises againt a yellow background is one of the famous paintings he produced during his hospitalization.

Van Gogh painted the view from his room and the hallway of the hospital. Later during his treatment he was allowed to leave the institution to paint the surrounding landscapes. During one of these trips 'outside' Vincent got another attack. The staff didn't allow him to go out for over a month after that. While he was 'trapped' inside, Vincent made copies of paintings by other painters like Rembrandt and Delacroix. After living one year at the Saint-Rémy hospital, Vincent left the institution to settle in Auvers-sur-Oise.

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