Cypresses
Vincent van Gogh
1889
oil on canvas
74cm × 93.3cm

This painting was created by Van Gogh while he was in the mental asylum of Saint-Rémy in southern France. The cypress tree was one of the important motifs for him during this period, and this painting is among the earliest works featuring it.

Madame Roulin and Her Baby
Vincent van Gogh
1888年
oil on canvas
51.1cm × 63.5cm

This is a portrait painted in Arles, southern France. It was during his time in Arles that Van Gogh awoke to vibrant colors and produced a series of masterpieces overflowing with color. This particular work depicts a child born into the Roulin family, with whom Van Gogh had close ties, along with Madame Roulin.

First Steps, after Millet
Vincent van Gogh
1889年
oil on canvas
91.2cm × 72.4cm

During the latter part of his stay in the Saint-Rémy asylum in winter, Vincent Van Gogh experienced several seizures and spent long periods confined indoors, unable to go outside. Perhaps there were also times of inclement weather during winter. During such times, he worked in a specially permitted studio within the asylum, copying the oil paintings and etchings of predecessors using photographs, interpreting them in his own way, and leaving behind many masterful copies based on his "free interpretation". This piece is one of them, taken from a sketch by Millet. Although more than 30 copies were made during this period, 21 of them were by Millet, the painter Van Gogh most admired. This piece is based on a sketch by Millet with added colors in oil, but differs from the original in its color scheme, depicted with a free use of colors.