The Flowering Orchard

Vincent van Gogh

1888 · Oil on canvas · European Paintings

The arrival of spring in Arles in 1888 found Van Gogh "in a fury of work." As he wrote to his brother Theo, "the trees are in blossom and I would like to do a Provençal orchard of tremendous gaiety." Between late March and late April, the artist dedicated fourteen canvases to the subject, working in a range of sizes, formats, and styles. This composition, dominated by the angular, elongated branches of the budding trees, attests to Van Gogh’s admiration for Japanese prints. His inclusion of the scythe and rake makes this one of only two orchard paintings to hint at a human presence.

Artist

Vincent van Gogh

Date

1888

Medium

Oil on canvas

Department

European Paintings

Credit line

The Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ittleson Jr. Purchase Fund, 1956