The Metropolitan Museum of Art is presenting a groundbreaking exhibition of some 40 works by Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) through August 27, 2023. “Van Gogh’s Cypresses” will be the first show to focus on the unique vision the artist brought to bear on the towering trees—among the most famous in the history of art—affording an unprecedented perspective on a motif virtually synonymous with his fiercely original power of expression.
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A stunning range of works will illuminate the extent of Van Gogh’s fascination with the region’s flamelike evergreens as they successively sparked, fueled, and stoked his imagination over the course of two years in the South of France: from his initial sightings of the “tall and dark” trees in Arles to realizing their full evocative potential (“as I see them”) at the asylum in Saint-Rémy.
Iconic paintings such as “Wheat Field with Cypresses” and “The Starry Night” will take their place as the centerpiece of this historic exhibition, which will only be presented at The Met.
“The show is a dream come true,” said Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director of The Met. “Marking the 170th-anniversary year of Van Gogh’s birth, this highly focused survey unpacks his distinctive vision of the commanding cypress trees. A once-in-a-lifetime gathering of works presents both an overview and an intimate glimpse of his creative process, challenging prevailing notions with fresh insights.”
Juxtaposing landmark paintings with precious drawings and illustrated letters—many rarely, if ever, lent or exhibited together—this tightly conceived thematic exhibition will offer an extraordinary opportunity to appreciate anew some of Van Gogh’s most celebrated works in a context that will reveal the backstory of their invention for the first time.
For more details, please visit metmuseum.org.
In “Loving Van Gogh: How to Paint Like Vincent Van Gogh,” you’ll discover…
- What Van Gogh teaches us about composition
- What you can learn about Van Gogh’s technique from studying his letters
- How to keep thick paint moving without making it runny or hard to manage
- How Van Gogh used reed pen drawings to plan the brushwork and movement in his paintings
- Direct painting and broken brushwork
- How to use line to emphasize pattern and shapes
- Some history of Van Gogh and his path to becoming the father of Expressionism and modern art
- How to get out of a rut in your work through more expressionistic painting
- How Van Gogh became a “third-level painter” and what that means
Click here for “Loving Van Gogh: How to Paint Like Vincent Van Gogh”
