The first book to study Vincent van Gogh's fascination with cypresses,
the "tall and dark trees" that feature in some of his most iconic
pictures
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) immortalized the cypress tree in signature
images that have become synonymous with his fiercely original power of
expression. This richly illustrated publication illuminates the
backstory of his invention for the first time, from his initial
investigations of the motif in benchmark drawings from Arles to his
realization of their full evocative potential in such iconic canvases as
The Starry Night and Wheat Field with Cypresses, painted at the
asylum in Saint-Rémy. Susan Alyson Stein retraces the Dutch artist's
inspired response to the flamelike evergreens as they gained ground in
his works and artistic thinking over the course of his sojourn in the
South of France. The volume provides further insight into Van Gogh's
creative process through a technical study focused on two celebrated
works from the artist's epic painting campaign of June 1889. The visual
and literary heritage of the cypresses is featured in a compilation of
images and excerpts from nineteenth-century poetry, novels, and travel
writing--many translated into English for the first time.
Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale
University Press
Exhibition Schedule:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
(May 22-August 27, 2023)
