Vincent van Gogh
In late February 1886, Van Gogh arrived in Paris. There he aimed to further develop as an artist and also hoped to sell his works in the city. He moved in with his brother Theo. Their small apartment sat at the foot of Montmartre on the northern edge of the city. At that time, this hill was still almost without buildings and had a rural character.
In the spring, Van Gogh explored his surroundings. He painted this panoramic La Butte Montmartre, viewed from the north, in the open air. His sober, autumnal palette of predominantly red-brown and brown-yellow was still reminiscent of his Dutch period. But in the picturesque use of different shades of green, blue, and white, he was already cautiously experimenting with color and light.
The almost square brushstroke slightly right of center in the sky is a retouch, which Van Gogh himself applied. This was because a hole had formed in the paint layer, making the ground layer visible. The brushstrokes around it may have served to somewhat camouflage this all-too-visible correction.
We present today's painting thanks to the Kröller-Müller Museum. :)
And if you love Vincent van Gogh as much as we do, please check out our notebooks, prints, and socks with Vincent in the DailyArt Shop. :)
P.S. We all know Montmartre as the "artistic heart" of Paris and home to many artists. Explore ALL the famous artists who once lived and worked there. <3