Vincent's Trees

Ralph Skea

ISBN 10: 0500239045 / ISBN 13: 9780500239049

Published by Thames and Hudson Ltd, GB, 2013

About this Item

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) felt a profound empathy with the natural environment, and considered the spiritual essence of trees to be comparable with that of human figures. Vincent's Trees traces Van Gogh's development as a painter of trees in the natural landscape - from his home province of North Brabant, through Paris to Provence. Ralph Skea's elegant prose is accompanied by Van Gogh's vibrant illustrations of trees, which range from pencil and ink sketches to watercolours and oil. Stylistic experiments encompassing Pointillism and compositions inspired by Japanese prints give way to the expressive, painterly depictions of his later work. The book also includes quotes from Van Gogh's letters, which convey the depth of his feeling for the natural landscape, and the force with which it affected him.

Seller Inventory # LU-9780500239049

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Vincent's Trees
• Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd, GB
• Publication Date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0500239045
• ISBN 13: 9780500239049
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 540 grams

About this title

Synopsis

A beautifully produced book for art lovers and nature enthusiasts illuminating van Gogh’s belief that painting should “celebrate the finest qualities of nature”

Vincent van Gogh felt a profound empathy with the natural environment and considered the “spiritual essence” of trees to be comparable with that of human figures.

This superbly illustrated book traces van Gogh’s development as a painter of trees, from the distinctive pollard willows of his home province of North Brabant to the cypress and olive trees of Provence to the parks of Paris. Ralph Skea discusses van Gogh's early life in the Netherlands; his first tree studies in the Dutch landscape; his paintings of trees within townscapes; his particular fascination with orchards, which led to some of his best-known and most loved paintings; and the works he completed in rural Provence.

From delicate drawings in pencil and ink and subtle, Pointillist-inspired paintings to stylized, boldly colored depictions of single trees, groves, and landscapes, the oils and sketches reproduced here are a testament to the artist’s poetic sensibility and great talent in capturing nature.

75 illustrations, 70 in color

About the Author

Ralph Skea was for many years a senior lecturer in European urban conservation at the University of Dundee, Scotland. He is the author of Vincent’s Gardens, Vincent’s Trees, Monet’s Trees, and Vincent’s Portraits.