Vincent van Gogh – A Wheatfield, with Cypresses
Part 6 National Gallery UK – Vincent van Gogh - A Wheatfield, with Cypresses
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Van Gogh created Wheat Field with Cypresses in the late 19th century while he was in a hospital for the mentally ill for almost a year. Van Gogh, tired of "soothing art," began to paint landscapes: trees, fields sowing wheat. He was very attracted to cypresses that lifted their crowns to the sky, they looked like tongues of developing fire. In almost every painting he began to depict the southern nature - cypresses. Researchers of his creativity explained this passion by the fact that in the Mediterranean these trees from ancient times were the sign of mourning.
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Description of Vincent van Gogh’s painting Wheat Field with Cypresses
Van Gogh created Wheat Field with Cypresses in the late 19th century while he was in a hospital for the mentally ill for almost a year. Van Gogh, tired of "soothing art," began to paint landscapes: trees, fields sowing wheat. He was very attracted to cypresses that lifted their crowns to the sky, they looked like tongues of developing fire. In almost every painting he began to depict the southern nature - cypresses.
Researchers of his creativity explained this passion by the fact that in the Mediterranean these trees from ancient times were the sign of mourning. His works from 1888 to 1889 are endowed with special symbolic images, which are associated with a peculiar worldview of the artist in this period.
At the bottom of the picture immediately catches your eye a bread field painted in light yellow and orange tones. The wheat seems to be bowed by a small gust of wind. Van Gogh was very fond of the cypresses for their lines and proportions, of which he said they were beautiful.
The green grass looks bright, it is like a spot on a landscape that is flooded by the sun, but this black spot was a very interesting and challenging task for this creator. As he said, to paint nature here, you have to look at it for a very long time. The wheat field shows blackberries, bushes, tall cypresses with thick crowns, they are on the right edge of the work and look longer and darker against the sky. And behind them in the distance you can see hills of purple tones.
Above is a pink-green sky with clouds in unusual colors, and a barely visible crescent moon. Dense strokes are made in the front, with glimpses of green, purple and yellow tones visible on the blackberry bushes. The cypresses are the only accent in the painting, painted vertically.
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To the left, a gnarled shrub adds visual complexity and anchors the foreground. Further back, a line of hills rises gently, their muted blue tones contrasting with the warmth of the field. The distant mountains are simplified into broad planes of color, suggesting depth without intricate detail.
The most striking element on the right side is a towering cypress tree, its dark green form reaching dramatically towards the sky. Its upward thrust creates a strong vertical axis that counteracts the horizontal expanse of the wheatfield and draws the eye upwards. The brushwork here is particularly agitated, conveying a sense of restless vitality.
Above, the sky is filled with swirling clouds, painted in shades of blue, white, and grey. These forms are not rendered realistically; instead, they possess an almost turbulent quality, contributing to the overall feeling of dynamism. The artist employed short, directional strokes that emphasize the movement of the wind and create a sense of atmospheric depth.
The painting evokes a powerful emotional response through its use of color and brushwork. While seemingly depicting a tranquil rural scene, theres an underlying tension present – a palpable energy in the swirling sky and agitated cypress tree. The contrast between the golden warmth of the wheatfield and the cool blues of the distant hills suggests a complex interplay of opposing forces.
The composition’s structure, with its strong vertical element juxtaposed against the horizontal field, might be interpreted as symbolic of aspiration versus grounding, or perhaps the individuals struggle within a larger natural order. The vibrant red poppies could represent moments of joy and passion amidst an otherwise overwhelming landscape. Overall, the work conveys a sense of both beauty and unease, inviting contemplation on themes of nature, spirituality, and human experience.