IntroductionVincent Van Gogh loved nature. Blossoming trees, like in the painting
Almond Blossom, were one of his favorite subjects to paint. He painted a number of variations on the theme, ranging from a small flowering sprig in a glass to lavishly blossoming trees. Almond trees flower early in the spring making them a symbol of new life. Van Gogh borrowed the subject, the bold outlines and the positioning of the tree in the picture plane from Japanese printmaking.
The painting was a gift for his brother Theo and sister-in-law Jo, who had just had a baby son, Vincent Willem. In the letter announcing the new arrival, Theo wrote: ‘As we told you, we’ll name him after you, and I’m making the wish that he may be as determined and as courageous as you.’ Unsurprisingly, it was this work that remained closest to the hearts of the Van Gogh family. Vincent Willem went on to found the Van Gogh Museum where the work is displayed permanently.
Study this image and share with us your opinion of it. You may wish to use the questions below to guide your thinking.
Questions to Consider1. What do you think of the composition of this image? The colors? Does it have impact? Does it suggest a story? Would you want it on your wall? Why or why not?
2. Think for a moment about the perspective. Do you think it was viewed from above, below, from the side? Was it perhaps a reflection? Does it matter? Does it matter if we are not sure? Would it matter if this were a photograph?
3. The color palette is mentioned in several of the linked articles, and in others I reviewed. It’s clear that as a painter Van Gogh had full control of his colors, and throughout his work, he never shied away from making alterations in what he saw with his eyes to create in his paintings a color combination that pleased him. Do you ever alter the color palette of your photographs to achieve a result that pleases you more? There are many arguments in photography about how far photographers should go in such endeavors. Do you have an opinion?
4. Most of the articles I encountered mentioned the influence of Japanese art on Van Gogh’s representation of these almond blossoms. Have you photographed a flower scene that you think reflects some of that influence? If so, please share.
5. Flowers are a common subject for traditional media artists and for photographers. Some photographers I know consider the subject boring and overdone. What do you think? Would you share one of your own flower photos that you are especially fond of? It can be traditionally photographed or creatively edited.
Links for Further Studyhttps://www.vincentvangogh.org/almond-blossom.jsphttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond_Blossomshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RX2fhqHiP0 (how to paint your own almond blossom)
https://www.vangoghstudio.com/story-behind-blossoming-almond-tree/https://byronsmuse.wordpress.com/2016/03/12/vincent-van-gogh-almond-blossoms-or-fragile-beauty/https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/collection/s0176V1962