Two remarkable paintings by Vincent van Gogh, created shortly after the artist famously mutilated his ear, will be showcased in London for the first time.

The artworks, The Courtyard of the Hospital at Arles and The Ward in the Hospital at Arles, will be part of an exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery next month, according to The Art Newspaper.

These pieces hold special significance as they are the only known works Van Gogh painted of the hospital in Arles, France, where he was treated.

Originally acquired in the 1920s by Swiss collector Oskar Reinhart, the paintings became part of his extensive 200-piece collection housed in Winterthur, near Zurich. For many years, this collection was prohibited from being loaned out.

The museum at Reinhart’s villa, Am Römerholz, which opened to the public in 1970, is currently closed for renovations. This temporary closure has allowed the two Van Gogh paintings to travel to the UK as part of the Courtauld’s upcoming exhibition, Goya to Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection, running from 14 February to 26 May.

Van Gogh began these works in late April 1889 while residing at the hospital. During this period, he slept in the hospital but was permitted to paint during the day, resulting in these evocative and poignant depictions of his surroundings. Photo by Wikimedia commons.