Shop art print and framed art Wheatfield with Cypresses, 1889 by Vincent van Gogh

Wheatfield with Cypresses 1889: The iconic landscape painted by Vincent Van Gogh

The Wheat Field with Cypresses was painted in 1889 during the period when Vincent van Gogh was staying in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, a year before his tragic death. It is one of a series of paintings depicting wheat fields in various weather conditions, a motif that was dear to Van Gogh. During this period, he also produced the famous Cypress series of paintings. This plant motif would haunt his work, so much so that the painter wrote to his brother, "I need a starry night with cypresses or, perhaps, above a field of wall wheat."

Visual description of the work

The painting therefore depicts a field of wheat bordered by cypress trees, a characteristic tree of the Provencal region. The painting measures 72.5 centimetres wide by 91.5 centimetres high and is painted in oil. The colours are vivid, contrasting the intense yellows of the wheat with the dark greens of the cypresses and the variegated blue of a tumultuous sky.

The wheat field

In the foreground, the artist has beautifully depicted a wheat field with ears of corn ripening in the summer sunshine.He has used several shades of yellow, ochre and brown to texture the plant.The way Van Gogh has painted the wheat field, similar to a golden sea, also gives the impression of the wind caressing the ears.

The cypress trees

The cypress trees occupy an important place and display their majesty in the background of the painting, giving it a skilful asymmetry. These trees seem to rise towards the sky like green flames.Their undulating forms are characteristic of the style of Van Gogh, who was always fascinated by these trees.

The dramatic sky

As if moved by a life of its own, the work dedicates half of its composition to a sky inhabited by centrifugal winds, rolling soft, vaporous clouds around themselves . The artist has used different shades of blue to represent this stormy sky, from light to dark.You can feel the power of the wind across the entire surface of the painting.

A source of inspiration for other artists

The Wheat Field with Cypresses 1889 provides a panorama of the aesthetic research carried out by Van Gogh during his period in Provence in 1888 and 1889. This canvas perfectly illustrates the recurring themes and stylistic traits that characterise the painter's work during this period.

It remains a well-known masterpiece, but also an inexhaustible source of inspiration for contemporary artists. This iconic work is also considered to be one of the finest paintings in the Wheatfields series.

This artwork is a painting from the modern period. It belongs to the post-impressionism style.

« Wheatfield with Cypresses, 1889 » is kept at National Gallery, London, United Kingdom.

Find the full description of Wheatfield with Cypresses, 1889 by Vincent van Gogh on Wikipedia.