Van Gogh's Understanding of Composition

Vincent Van Gogh spent one year in an asylum in Saint-Rémy de Provence. At the asylum, he spent many hours enjoying the surrounding views and was astonished that such beautiful scenery had not been painted before, or at least not in the way that he viewed it. Van Gogh was fascinated by the nearby cypresses in particular and understood their affect on the compositions of paintings. Van Gogh paints landscapes in three main fields of perspective— foreground, middle ground, and background. The cypresses usually appear in the foreground or middle ground of paintings to break up and stretch the horizontal compositions. The cypresses in the background of Van Gogh’s drawing are placed to capture the viewer’s attention through every layer of the artwork. Placing the trees in the foreground would have stolen the wheat field’s flowing grandeur, but in the view that Van Gogh chose, the cypresses serve as a reminder to look throughout the entire wheat field. Also included in this collection is Vincent Van Gogh’s painting of olive trees. The lack of the beloved cypresses in this composition creates a differing framework and organization in the painting that carries Van Gogh’s style of fluid, horizontal lines. Van Gogh understands this change and the unique connotations the piece can exhibit, particularly in comparison to his other works utilizing the inclusion of cypress trees. 

                                 Vincent Van Gogh, Cypresses, 1889, Oil on canvas, 49.30

This painting puts cypresses as an obvious interest of van Gogh’s while also exemplifying his use of impasto and horizontal composition that is pierced by the cypress tree. The moon also ties this piece to The Starry Night. The cypresses take charge of the foreground and allow for studies of how Van Gogh executes them in a sort of contained wildness. This painting acts as a viewfinder for Van Gogh’s use of cypress trees.

Vincent Van Gogh, The Olive Trees,1889, Oil on canvas, MoMA

This artwork acts as an immediate contrast to Cypresses because it, quite obviously, does not include cypress trees. This piece is included to act as an example of what Van Gogh’s landscapes of the same type look like without the cypresses. The fluid, horizontals unaccompanied by the rising vertical conveys a different connotation. The piece seems to continually flow into the canvas, while Van Gogh’s paintings hat feature cypress trees show a different kind of movement. 

Vincent Van Gogh, Wheat Field with Cypresses, 1889, Oil on canvas, 1993.132

The cypress trees in this piece may not be the first thing one notices, but they play a key role in unifying the composition. All of the horizontals point to the trees and the deep green against golden yellow and pale blues further brings them to a point of importance. Many artists focus on vast landscapes, but Van Gogh is intrigued by items that rise through the horizon line and spike interest. 

Vincent Van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889, Oil on canvas, MoMA

This painting is very well known by almost anyone who has even heard the name of Vincent Van Gogh; however, it is known for the exaggerated starlight in the whirling sky. The cypress trees are very close in the foreground, which is done by Van Gogh to emphasize the sky. The cypress trees are directly in the field of vision, but you then find yourself asking what is beyond them that is mysteriously intriguing. The cypresses also serve to unify the painting. With such a large background and thin middle ground, the cypresses create balance by making the foreground just as large. 

Vincent Van Gogh, Wheat Field, 1888, Reed pen and iron gall ink over graphite on wove paper, 64.125.3

This drawing shows that Van Gogh captures landscapes in an accumulation of patterns and lines that then create forms and imply movement. When he is painting, he shows this through impasto. This will be a connection to see how Van Gogh works through interpreting the landscape. Van Gogh’s style can still be seen in a very different medium. He still focuses on the foreground, middle ground, and back ground, as well as horizontal lines and a few vertical lines.