Wheat Field with Crows
Encyclopedia
Wheatfield with Crows is a July 1890 painting by Vincent van Gogh
. It is commonly but mistakenly stated that this was Van Gogh's last painting. Art historians are uncertain as to which painting was Van Gogh's last, as no clear historical records exist, but the evidence of his letters suggests that Wheatfield with Crows was completed around 10 July and predates such paintings as Auvers Town Hall on 14 July 1890
and Daubigny's Garden
.. The road, in contrasting colors of red and green, is said by Erickson to be a metaphor for a sermon he gave based on Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" where the pilgrim is sorrowful that the road is so long, yet rejoices because the Eternal City waits at the journey's end.
About 10 July 1890 Van Gogh wrote to Theo van Gogh
and Jo Bonger
, saying that he had painted another three large canvases at Auvers
since visiting them in Paris on July 6. Two of these are described as immense stretches of wheatfields under turbulent skies, thought to be Wheatfield under Clouded Sky
and Wheatfield with Crows, and the third is Daubigny's Garden. He wrote that he had made a point of expressing sadness, later adding "extreme loneliness" (de la solitude extrême), but also says he believes the canvases show what he considers healthy and fortifying about the countryside:
Walther and Metzger refer to a June 1880 letter of Van Gogh's, in which he compared himself to a bird in a cage, and remark:
These canvases are all examples of Van Gogh's double-square paintings, used exclusively by him in the last few weeks of his life, in June and July 1890.
The painting is held in the collection of the Van Gogh Museum
in Amsterdam
, as is Wheatfield under Clouded Sky.
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
. It is commonly but mistakenly stated that this was Van Gogh's last painting. Art historians are uncertain as to which painting was Van Gogh's last, as no clear historical records exist, but the evidence of his letters suggests that Wheatfield with Crows was completed around 10 July and predates such paintings as Auvers Town Hall on 14 July 1890
The Town Hall at Auvers
The Town Hall at Auvers is a painting by Vincent van Gogh, executed mid-July 1890. It is based on the view Van Gogh had when he stepped out on the street from the Auberge Ravoux, where he stayed....
and Daubigny's Garden
Daubigny's Garden
Daubigny's Garden, painted three times by Vincent van Gogh, depicts the garden of the late Charles-François Daubigny, a painter whom Van Gogh admired throughout his life....
.. The road, in contrasting colors of red and green, is said by Erickson to be a metaphor for a sermon he gave based on Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" where the pilgrim is sorrowful that the road is so long, yet rejoices because the Eternal City waits at the journey's end.
About 10 July 1890 Van Gogh wrote to Theo van Gogh
Theo van Gogh (art dealer)
Theodorus "Theo" van Gogh was a Dutch art dealer. He was the younger brother of Vincent van Gogh, and Theo's unfailing financial and emotional support allowed his brother to devote himself entirely to painting...
and Jo Bonger
Johanna van Gogh-Bonger
Johanna Gezina van Gogh-Bonger was the wife of Theo van Gogh, art dealer, and the sister-in-law of the painter Vincent van Gogh. After the death of Vincent and her husband she worked assiduously on editing the brothers' correspondence, producing the first volume in Dutch in 1914...
, saying that he had painted another three large canvases at Auvers
Auvers-sur-Oise
Auvers-sur-Oise is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is associated with several famous artists, the most prominent being Vincent van Gogh.-History:...
since visiting them in Paris on July 6. Two of these are described as immense stretches of wheatfields under turbulent skies, thought to be Wheatfield under Clouded Sky
Wheat Fields (Van Gogh series)
Vincent van Gogh painted dozens of Wheat Fields , borne out of his religious studies and sermons, connection to nature, appreciation of manual laborers and desire to provide a means of offering comfort to others...
and Wheatfield with Crows, and the third is Daubigny's Garden. He wrote that he had made a point of expressing sadness, later adding "extreme loneliness" (de la solitude extrême), but also says he believes the canvases show what he considers healthy and fortifying about the countryside:
Walther and Metzger refer to a June 1880 letter of Van Gogh's, in which he compared himself to a bird in a cage, and remark:
These canvases are all examples of Van Gogh's double-square paintings, used exclusively by him in the last few weeks of his life, in June and July 1890.
The painting is held in the collection of the Van Gogh Museum
Van Gogh Museum
The Van Gogh Museum is an art museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, featuring the works of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries. It has the largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings in the world.-Background:...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, as is Wheatfield under Clouded Sky.
Further reading
- Erickson, Kathleen Powers. At Eternity's Gate: The Spiritual Vision of Vincent van Gogh, 1998. ISBN 0-8028-4978-4