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The Flowering Orchard

1888
Not on view
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.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Flowering Orchard
  • Artist: Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, Zundert 1853–1890 Auvers-sur-Oise)
  • Date: 1888
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 28 1/2 x 21 in. (72.4 x 53.3 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: The Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ittleson Jr. Purchase Fund, 1956
  • Object Number: 56.13
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

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Wheat Field with Cypresses, Vincent van Gogh Dutch, Oil on canvas
Wheat Field with Cypresses
Vincent van Gogh
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La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930), Vincent van Gogh Dutch, Oil on canvas
La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930)
Vincent van Gogh
1889
Olive Trees, Vincent van Gogh Dutch, Oil on canvas
Olive Trees
Vincent van Gogh
1889
Cypresses, Vincent van Gogh Dutch, Oil on canvas
Cypresses
Vincent van Gogh
1889
Women Picking Olives, Vincent van Gogh Dutch, Oil on canvas
Women Picking Olives
Vincent van Gogh
1889

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