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Lot Essay
Vincent van Gogh arrived in Paris in March 1886 and remained there sharing an apartment with his brother Theo until February 1888. During this time he painted well over two hundred canvases and his style underwent tremendous changes under the influence of both the Impressionist masters and the rising generation of Post-Impressionist artists. Writing to his friend Levens, the newly arrived Van Gogh seemed uncertain as to what he was seeking, but confident he would find it in Paris:
What is to be gained is progress and what the deuce that is, it is to be found here. I dare say as certain anyone who has a solid position elsewhere let him stay where he is. But for adventurers as myself, I
think they lose nothing in risking more. Especially as in my case I am not an adventurer by choice but by fate (V. van Gogh, The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, London, 1958, LT459a).
In Paris, Van Gogh immersed himself in the well-established Impressionist subject matter of contemporary life, and in the summer of 1887 he painted a series of images of sun-drenched parks and gardens, including this work and the following lot. Van Gogh was directly inspired by the work of the Impressionists, familiar with them through the exhibitions his brother organized. The pure colors, energetic brushwork, and short parallel strokes used to develop forms within the picture all reflect the influence of Pissarro and Monet.
What is to be gained is progress and what the deuce that is, it is to be found here. I dare say as certain anyone who has a solid position elsewhere let him stay where he is. But for adventurers as myself, I
think they lose nothing in risking more. Especially as in my case I am not an adventurer by choice but by fate (V. van Gogh, The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, London, 1958, LT459a).
In Paris, Van Gogh immersed himself in the well-established Impressionist subject matter of contemporary life, and in the summer of 1887 he painted a series of images of sun-drenched parks and gardens, including this work and the following lot. Van Gogh was directly inspired by the work of the Impressionists, familiar with them through the exhibitions his brother organized. The pure colors, energetic brushwork, and short parallel strokes used to develop forms within the picture all reflect the influence of Pissarro and Monet.