Cypresses

1889
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 825
Cypresses was painted in late June 1889, shortly after Van Gogh began his yearlong stay at the asylum in Saint-Rémy. The subject, which he found "beautiful as regards lines and proportions, like an Egyptian obelisk," both captivated and challenged the artist: "It’s the dark patch in a sun-drenched landscape, but it’s one of the most interesting dark notes, the most difficult to hit off exactly that I can imagine." One of two close-up views of the "very tall and massive" trees in a vertical format (the other is in the Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo), Cypresses was shown in the 1890 Salon des Indépendants.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Cypresses
  • Artist: Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, Zundert 1853–1890 Auvers-sur-Oise)
  • Date: 1889
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 36 3/4 x 29 1/8 in. (93.4 x 74 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1949
  • Object Number: 49.30
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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