Vincent van Gogh
Les Alyscamps is one of the old access roads to Arles. The long avenue of poplar trees, flanked by tombs from Roman and early Christian times, was already a well-known tourist attraction in Van Gogh’s day and the ideal place for the Arlésiens and Arlésiennes to take an intimate stroll arm in arm.
In Falling Leaves, Van Gogh places his viewpoint on a higher level so that you look down on the scene. Because no horizon is visible and the three trees in the center are directly in the foreground, an unusual perspective is created, reminiscent of Japanese prints. Incidentally, the trees were originally purple but have turned blue due to discoloration of the red pigment in the paint.
The two figures on the left, "an old fellow and a fat woman, round as a ball," are depicted with a few well-chosen, almost caricatural lines, a technique Van Gogh admires in Japanese printmaking. With the third figure, a young woman in red, the artist seems to refer to the girls searching for a sweetheart in Arles's "lovers’ lane."
We present today's painting thanks to the Kröller-Müller Museum. :)
P.S. Vincent van Gogh is of course featured in our 2024 DailyArt Calendars, check them out here! :)
P.P.S. You probably know Vincent van Gogh struggled with his mental health, but how well do you know other aspects of his life? Now you can test yourself in our quiz! And if you want to learn more about the painter, check out the articles below!