On 25 July 1875, Vincent visited the village of Ville d’Avray, southwest of Paris, with his colleague Frans Soek (?–1879) and Soek’s family. In 1855–56, Camille Corot (1796–1875) had painted four frescoes in the transept of the village church: Adam and Eve Chased from Paradise, Baptism of Christ by St John, Christ in the Garden of Olives and Magdalen at Prayer. The church also had a much earlier work by Corot, St Jerome (1837). Vincent probably did not recognise all the paintings – one of which was unsigned – for he mentioned only three in a letter describing the visit.
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