Artwork
Olive Trees
Olive Trees is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Olive Trees depicts an olive grove composed of Olea europaea, the cultivated olive tree of the Mediterranean.
Olive Trees depicts an olive grove composed of Olea europaea, the cultivated olive tree of the Mediterranean. Executed in oil on canvas in 1889 while Van Gogh was resident in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, the painting belongs to his series of landscape works and reflects his engagement with the local natural environment. As a landscape, it documents a specific regional setting rather than a narrative subject, illustrating the artist's observational record of the scenery surrounding the asylum.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a medium typical of Van Gogh's late practice. The handling is characterized by thick, impastoed brushwork, with visible strokes applied in directional layers that follow the contours of the olive groves and the undulating terrain. The palette is dominated by muted greens, ochres, and blues, modulated through rapid, rhythmic application to convey the shimmering light of Provence.
Stylistically, the composition employs a flattened spatial arrangement and bold outlines, flattening depth while accentuating the rhythmic repetition of tree trunks and foliage. The overall effect merges observation with expressive distortion, aligning with Van Gogh's post-impressionist approach to landscape painting.
History & Provenance
Vincent van Gogh's Olive Trees, an oil painting on canvas created in 1889 during his time in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, which depicts an olive grove, measures 72.7 cm in height and 92.1 cm in width. No specific inventory or accession numbers are listed in the available documentation, and no exhibition history is recorded in the sources consulted.
Overview
Vincent van Gogh's 1889 oil painting, "Olive Trees," captures a vibrant landscape. This work, executed in oil paint, features a prominent olive grove under a dynamic sky. It is currently part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing a significant period in the artist's career.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art.
