This painting dates from 1913, the year the artist was charmed by the subject during a walking tour around Auvers-sur-Oise, as the following letter testifies: "Je suis a Auvers-sur-Oise/ pour faire une etude de meule/ de paille; ce qui est tres/ ennuyeunt c’est qui fait nuit de/ bonheur. Mais c’est admirable/ la campagne – la nature est/ envellopé d’un brouillard d’une/ finesse qui n’ai prèsque pas a rendre enfin je fait tous mon/ possible. Mes [mais] dieu que c’est/ jolie. je ne sais pas quelle idée que/ j’ai eu pour aller a Auvers./ figure toi que le jour de l’an je/ m’enuirais tellement, que je suis/ parti flâner a la campagne/ et en flanent, j’ai vue une disposition/ de Meule admirable, alors c’est/ ca qui m’a décider a venir a/ Auvers sur Oise Voila Mon Cher René […] Je vais te faire/ un croquis [fig. 1] de mon étude […]" [sic] (I am in Auvers-sur-Oise to do a study of a straw stack, this is very difficult because night falls very early. But the countryside is wonderful, nature is wrapped in a light fog which is almost impossible to show but I do my best. God, it is beautiful. I do not know why I came here to Auvers. On New Year’s day I was so bored that I left for a stroll in the country and I saw a wonderful group of haystacks, this is what made me come to Auvers-sur-Oise, there you have it my dear René […] I will do a sketch (fig. 1) of my study for you ...) (Philippe Smit 1913). Two other sketches, which are in a private Dutch collection, are known to us from copies (fig. 2 and 3).
