Blossoming Almond Tree - A Rare Bloom Frozen In Time “In all of nature, in trees, for instance, I see expression and a soul, as it were.” - Vincent van Gogh. Monet's Bordighera. Lempicka's Calla Lilies. Vincent's Sunflowers.

These paintings are timeless icons of the artistic experience we often stumble upon our daily lives, in a form that is not on stretched canvas. These masterpieces are captivating and awe-inspiring, but some paintings from the same artist just stand out from them all.

Blossoming Almond Tree

The Inspiration

Blossoming Almond Tree by Van Gogh is an immaculate piece. One of the most well-known and (clearly) best Van Gogh paintings, it was created in 1890 while the Dutch master was recovering at the Saint Paul Asylum in Saint-Remy in the south of France.

These were dark times for him, but the news of his brother Theo having a child—who was to be named Vincent after him—inspired him to create this classic painting.

Van Gogh best Paintings: The Masterpiece

Van Gogh was so moved that he wanted to mark this moment in time. A majority of his best paintings were understood to be lonely and dreary. But this painting, in simplistic brushstrokes, shows something that was not seen in his earlier work.

With hues of ivory and turquoise, this painting portrays Almond Blossom branches gnarled and twisted with ivory white blossoms.

For van Gogh, the blooming flowers in this painting symbolize awakening, hope, and birth. Not only artistically but seemingly also individually, this might have been a way out from the shadowy place he was in.

One Of A Kind

The influence of Japanese art technique—Japonaiserie, as he termed it—was prominent in this painting, making it a unique piece with eastern art forms. The bold outlines and the framing of the tree show characteristics of woodblock print genre, Ukiyo-e.

His restrained color palette is a surprise. His sepias, turquoise blues, white, black, pink, and greens are nothing but pure color blending mastery. Many curators say that Vincent may have run short of colors; whatever the reason, there is a rare, softened color palette with many subtle undertones. These make it an extraordinarily rare painting.

Another thing you’ll observe in Van Gogh’s Blossoming Almond Tree is the unusual balance and regularity. The tree branches seem to drift out in the sky and fade as they go. The artist has left it up to you to decide whether this is set in a vase or is a portion of a tree.

The End Of A Beginning

After completing this beauty, Van Gogh repeatedly fell into bad health. He had anticipated making a range of trees and plants in bloom, but by the time he had improved enough to paint again, the season had changed. Van Gogh died a few months later, making this the only one he managed to paint in this style and technique.

Influenced profoundly by oriental craftsmen, and the soul-searching stages in his life, this Van Gogh masterpiece brings out the sheer talent in a distressed man who was pleased and delighted to hear of the birth of his nephew.

The young Vincent, once grown, went on to create the Van Gogh Museum, in Amsterdam.
 

Would you like to have a hand painted reproduction

Blossoming Almond Tree is one of Van Gogh's best paintings. Would you like to have a hand painted reproduction in museum quality on your own wall? View prices and sizes by clicking: Blossoming Almond Tree.  

Your Daily Dose of Van Gogh

What did Vincent van Gogh write on this day?

Find out in your FREE Van Gogh e-book.

Hundreds of questions answered by Van Gogh himself!

Free Van Gogh e-book
    10-11-2016 15:35     Comments ( 1 )
Comments (1)
 Bruce Allen Oatway -  26-03-2017

Stillness in blue sky song Almond blossoms flutter Fall like old snow on dark earth I hear stillness In blue sky song BAO