Wheatfield

Today we continue our special month with the Rijksmuseum's collection. Enjoy!  :)

Vincent van Gogh is arguably the most famous painter in the world, but how did he grow as an artist? Three paintings now on display in the Rijksmuseum clearly show his artistic development. Van Gogh traveled to Amsterdam in 1885 to visit the Rijksmuseum, which had recently opened. On the day of his visit he painted his View of Amsterdam from Central Station. The paint still wet, he took the new work with him to the Rijksmuseum. He saw Rembrandt’s The Jewish Bride there and was blown away by the painting. He poetically described Rembrandt's art, writing: "[I would] gladly give up ten years of my life to sit in front of the painting for two weeks, eating only a stale crust of bread." Van Gogh’s visit to the Rijksmuseum was a great inspiration to him in his use of color, as is clearly evident in the paintings he made soon afterwards. 

Van Gogh moved to Paris in 1886. In 1888, the city became too busy for the artist, and in the spring he left for Arles. He was captivated by the vibrant colors of the landscape in the south of France. The yellow of the wheat takes center stage in Wheatfield, thanks to the high horizon. Van Gogh further intensified the blue of the mountains and the sky to enhance the color contrast with that yellow.

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