Artwork
The Hill of Montmartre with Stone Quarry
The Hill of Montmartre with Stone Quarry is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. It is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition includes specific visual elements such as a windmill, a fence, and a solitary man, set against the backdrop of the main subject, Montmartre.
The work depicts a landscape of the Montmartre district in Paris, focusing on the hillside area characterized by a stone quarry. The composition includes specific visual elements such as a windmill, a fence, and a solitary man, set against the backdrop of the main subject, Montmartre. As a landscape painting created in June 1886, the piece captures the rural-industrial character of the area before its full urbanization.
The inclusion of the quarry and windmill alongside the human figure reflects the artist's observation of the everyday environment and the interaction between nature and human industry in the Parisian suburbs.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 32 cm in height by 41 cm in width. The handling is characteristic of Van Gogh’s Montmartre period, using thick, directional brushstrokes to build up texture in the quarry face and the hillside vegetation. The palette is earthy and subdued, with muted greens, ochres, and blues that convey the late-summer or early-autumn light over the quarry and surrounding buildings.
Compositionally, the scene is organized along a diagonal axis from lower left to upper right, guiding the viewer’s eye from the foreground quarry toward the distant windmill and rooftops. The treatment emphasizes the contrast between the worked landscape and the encroaching urbanization of Montmartre.
History & Provenance
The Hill of Montmartre with Stone Quarry is an oil painting on canvas produced in 1886 in Paris. The work measures 32 cm in height and 41 cm in width and belongs to the landscape genre. It portrays a windmill, fence, quarry and a figure within the Montmartre terrain.
The painting is held in the collections of the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, where it is displayed. Its creation is documented for June 1886.
The Hill of Montmartre with Stone Quarry is an oil‑on‑canvas landscape that Van Gogh executed in Paris in the summer of 1886. The work is part of the Van Gogh Museum’s collection and is also listed in the Rijksmuseum’s holdings. Its dimensions are 32 cm in height and 41 cm in width, and it depicts a windmill, fence, quarry and a figure within the Montmartre terrain. The painting is categorized as a landscape and is recorded under the date 1886.
Overview
The Hill of Montmartre with Stone Quarry is an oil painting by Vincent van Gogh. This landscape captures a serene view of the Montmartre countryside, featuring a prominent windmill and a stone quarry. The work is characterized by its textured surface and vibrant application of oil paint, reflecting Van Gogh's distinctive approach to depicting natural scenes. It is currently housed in the Rijksmuseum.
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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.
