Van Gogh's flowering orchards

Gilles Farina
Publié le 25 April 2023
Van Gogh's flowering orchards

Spring is in full swing! The perfect opportunity to rediscover the works that deal with this period of inspiration. Painters go out and decide to represent the world around them. Today, Museum TV invites you to revisit Van Gogh's Flowering Orchards.

The trees in bloom

Like Monet and his water lilies, Van Gogh had a real passion for blooming trees. In fact, throughout his work, the painter depicted orchards in bloom at the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

There are, for example, three triptychs of orchards in the image of Verger fleurissant (Orchard in Bloom), Pêcher en fleur (Peach Tree in Bloom) and Verger avec cyprès (Orchard with Cypress), all painted in 1888.

Let's not forget also le Cerisier en fleur (the Cherry Blossom Tree) and two other Vergers fleurissant (Orchards in Bloom) and Pêcher en fleur (Peach Blossom). Here are some examples of Van Gogh's orchards:

Verger fleurissant, 1888
64,5 × 80,5 cm
Musée Van Gogh
Verger fleurissant, 1888
64,5 × 80,5 cm
Musée Van Gogh

Pêcher en fleur, 1888
73 × 59,5 cm
Rijksmuseum
Pêcher en fleur, 1888
73 × 59,5 cm
Rijksmuseum

Verger avec cyprès, 1888
64,8 × 80,8 cm
Collection privée, New York
Verger avec cyprès, 1888
64,8 × 80,8 cm
Collection privée, New York

What is interesting about these paintings is Van Gogh's ability to make us feel the end of winter. Indeed, the colors are pale and cold which transports us to the thaw and the appearance of the first buds.

In the second collection, the works are warmer and we feel that spring has definitely arrived.

Pêcher en fleur, 1888
Musée Van Gogh

Verger fleurissant, 1888
53 × 64 cm
National Gallery d'Edimbourg
Verger fleurissant, 1888
53 × 64 cm
National Gallery d'Edimbourg

Cerisier en fleur, 1888
72,4 × 53,3 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Cerisier en fleur, 1888
72,4 × 53,3 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Thus the works of Vincent Van Gogh offers us wonderful landscapes of trees in spring with its blooming orchards! Maybe this will give you the desire to go out and paint some pictures...

Go to our streaming platform to find out more about Vincent Van Gogh and other painters.