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But Van Gogh didn’t actually want to be crazy, nor did he start out that way. When Van Gogh discovered Japanese prints he went crazy for them and he thought that painting in a Japanese style was the way to give the people what they wanted. Van Gogh moved to the countryside on a quest for “a more Japanese eye,” as he called it.
He wanted peace and brighter colors, but instead, he lost an ear. After what could probably be considered the world’s most famous mental breakdown, Van Gogh had himself institutionalized at Saint-Paul Asylum. Vincent’s brother, Theo, thought very highly of Vincent for admitting himself.
Vincent was genuinely disturbed by his first mental breakdown and was afraid that he might have another one so he thought it best to keep himself under supervision. Despite being uncomfortable in an asylum, Van Gogh preferred being there to somewhere he couldn’t get help, which proved a smart decision because he had several more breakdowns while he was in the asylum.
While in Saint-Paul, Van Gogh pushed himself to paint and be creative. Also during this time, Theo and his wife had a baby boy, Vincent’s first nephew, whom they named after Vincent in the hopes that baby Vincent would grow up to be “as determined and as courageous” as his uncle.
Vincent painted this work, Almond Blossom, as a gift for his newborn nephew. The work remained close to the hearts of the Van Gogh family and inspired baby Vincent to open the Van Gogh Museum to share his uncle’s works with the world.
Van Gogh did get to meet his nephew once, and Vincent wrote that he was happy to have spent that time with his family. Later that same year, though, Vincent shot and killed himself.
Even after creating a work that represented new life and rebirth, Vincent couldn’t find a way out of the hopelessness he felt.
This piece of art immediately caught my eye when I was scrolling through the page. The piece is beautiful, the turquoise of the background makes the flowers and branches pop very beautifully. The lines of the branches really stick out too.
When looking at this pieces, I was a bit shocked at first. It doesn't seem to fit in with the paintings I remember him doing. The sunflower paintings were bright and catchy, his famous "Starry Night" has a background that swirls in every direction, yet this painting really does seem to convey peace in a way that I haven't seen in his other artworks. The duller, but still beautiful colors of the turquoise and white don't make a huge pop, but rather a calming feeling.
Something very unique to Van Gogh is that his brushstrokes are very visible. On the branches especially, you can see the shading done more as a pattern than a gradient. His strokes are precise, but not smooth. In that way, I think it is amazing that this piece still feels controlled. I also love how I can almost feel the texture that I see in the background.