The Starry Night Mystery Cache

You are about to embark on a journey through the life of one of the world’s most renown painters, Vincent Van Gogh. Your travels will take you to some of the most prominent locations of his life and bring you face to face with a few of his best works. Most of the questions will require that you to actually stand in his footsteps.

The intent of this puzzle is not to answer the questions as quickly as possible, but to thoroughly explore the environs. For your own edification (and to help with the puzzle), I highly recommend that you reference a short biography as you travel from place to place. You may also want to take along a good tour guide. There are some recommendations in the hints section. Enjoy your trip!

Birth

Vincent Van Gogh was born on 30 March 1853 in Groot Zundert, The Netherlands.

A = Exactly one year prior to his birthday, Van Gogh’s mother gave stillbirth to a child that would have been his older brother. Vincent grew up within eyesight of his brother’s grave. How many letters are in this brother’s first name?

B = How many architectural columns are on the building across the street from Van Gogh’s birth home?

First Major Work (1885)

In 1885, near the time of his 32^nd birthday, Van Gogh created his first major work: The Potato Eaters.

C = How many letters are in the name of the town in which he was living at the time? (starts with N, ends with N)

D = The park in the center of this town has a statue of Van Gogh. How many letters are in the name of the object on which it is mounted? (to avoid confusion, it's one word long and includes a C)

Move to Paris (1886)

After spending three years in the town in which he created The Potato Eaters, Vincent moves to Paris and lives with his younger brother Theo.

E = One of the places they lived is an apartment on Rue Lepic. How many stories are in the building?

Move to Arles (1888)

Less than two years after moving to Paris, Vincent moves to the town of Arles in Southern France. It is here that he begins to produce some of his best known works, and also where he commits one of his most famous acts by severing his ear for reasons that are still debated.

To solve this portion of the puzzle you will need to tour Arles and determine the distances between Van Gogh’s Yellow House and the locations of three other places featured in his paintings. Since the actual Yellow House isn't there anymore, use the four story building as your reference point. Distances are line-of-site. The number you need is in the hundreds place for each measurement.

F = What is the distance to the subject of Painting #1? ( _70 meters)

G = What is the distance to the subject of Painting #2? ( 2_50 meters) The original bridge was destroyed so use the location of the restored version.

H = What is the distance to the subject of Painting #3? ( _20 meters)

Van Gogh painted another famous work while in Arles, Starry Night Over the Rhone.

I = How many letters are in the name of the constellation featured in the painting? (the name of the asterism also works)

An interesting side note, that may help you along the way, is that when VanGogh painted the stars to the north he was actually looking the opposite direction across the water. He had to reverse everything.

Confinement in the Saint Paul-de-Mausole mental asylum in Saint-Rémy (1889)

Shortly after his 36^th birthday, and under deteriorating mental conditions, Van Gogh enters treatment at the Saint Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint Rémy. In June he produces his best known work, The Starry Night.

J = A church is featured in the painting. There is a similar looking church in the heart of the city. How many letters are in the second portion of the Church’s name? (starts with M ends with N)

K = The ruins of a Roman City are located southwest of the asylum. How many letters are in the name of the city? (begins with a G)

Move to Auvers-sur-Oise (May 1890)

Van Gogh moves to the town of Auvers-sur-Oise and enters the care of Dr. Paul Gachet. He continues to work fervently and paints many of the scenes found nearby. Among these are The Church at Auvers, and The White House at Night.

L = While in Auvers, Van Gogh stays at the Auberge Ravoux inn. How many stories is the neighboring building to the east?

M = If an observer is standing at the viewpoint captured in The Church at Auvers, how many stories have windows on the building to the observer’s right? (there are dormers on the roof, do not include them as a separate story)

N = Dormers have been added since the time Van Gogh painted The White House. How many dormers were added? (the White House is within 150 meters of the Auberge Ravoux)

O = How many stories are the east and west wings of the long building across the street from The White House?

Death

On 27 July 1890 Van Gogh walks into a nearby field and shoots himself in the chest with a revolver. He survives the immediate injury and is able to get himself back to the Auberge Ravoux Inn, but dies two days later in the arms of his brother Theo. The final words of his tormented 37 years: “The sadness will last forever….”

It is said that the Theo’s wife Joanna requested that a sprig of ivy from Dr. Gachet’s garden be planted at their gravesite and that the same ivy grows there to this day.

The final stop of your pilgrimage is the graves of Vincent and Theo. I trust you will go there without further questions.

In 1990 Van Gogh’s Portrait of Dr. Gachet sold for $82.5 million dollars. As of that date, it was the highest price ever paid for a painting. It is still ranked in the top five.

The solution is:

North (A+B+C+D+E+F+G) x 232550.8049

West (H+I+J+K+L+M+N+O) x 2154615.8158

TO REACH THE FINAL:

Van Gogh’s fascination with the night is well illustrated in his paintings. You too must share this fascination if you want to succeed.

At the coordinates turn around and face the way you came. Proceed forward and find the first twinkling star (search no further than the bend). Four more twinkling stars will guide you to a final crimson star.

You can drive all the way to the location of the puzzle solution by way of newly built road. The pavement will end when you are 0.36 miles from the location of the puzzle solution (by line of sight). The dirt road that continues on should be passable by most cars for most of the year but could be challenging or impassable in snowy conditions (walking is still an option). When you leave the pavement, make sure to take the dirt road to the left; the road to the right is a driveway. Expect a short hike to the final and bring a good bright light (a headlamp definitely won't cut it).