“I’m ploughing on like a man possessed”
READ FULL ESSAY: Christie’s
Following a third breakdown in the height of summer, Van Gogh returned to painting once again in September. As the heat of the Provençal summer cooled and autumn arrived, the artist returned once again to olive trees, finding in their forms and foliage a subject that was unchanging and permanent—motifs at once compelling for him as an artist, and comforting for him as a man. Just as he had explained to his sister earlier in the year that he needed to “go and gaze at a blade of grass, a pine-tree branch, an ear of wheat, to calm myself” (Letter 785, vol. 5, p. 54), so the intense study of nature—in this case a near serial depiction of olive trees over a number of paintings—continued to serve as a kind of tonic to the artist, offering him constant inspiration and encouragement. Painting was now an act of self-preservation, an art of survival; “now, one picture staked a whole day’s claim on the future, and a series represented belief in the continuation of life. Van Gogh’s indefatigable determination to paint had never been greater than in the asylum at Saint-Rémy” (op. cit., 2012, p. 509).
0:01 – No. 1 in F minor – Allegro moderato
11:17 – No. 2 in A-flat major – Allegretto – Trio
19:02 – No. 3 in B-flat major – Thema. Andante – Var. I–V
30:32 – No. 4 in F minor – Allegro scherzando
Hear More
Krystian Zimerman At Sunnyside
See More
Vincent Van Gogh at Christie’s
Thanks for Visiting 🙂
~Sunnyside
At Sunnyside - Where Truth and Beauty Meet 
❤️
LikeLiked by 2 people
🙂🌻🙏
LikeLiked by 1 person
🧡
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the beautiful music link and also the Van Gogh. I always love to see more stories about him. Have a great day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
beautiful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The combo of a lovely painting and beautiful music I find here is one of my favorite ways to begin the day!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a tortured soul was van Gogh!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your post matches the foggy morning I find myself in. Especially the music. 😊🙏🏻
LikeLiked by 1 person
Right up until the very last few paintings, he always described himself as “reaching for” something he hadn’t quite got yet ~ and it must be admitted that those last few do contain an almost otherworldly radiance ~ but, boy oh boy, he sure pegged this autumn sky, didn’t he?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love Van Gogh, his words, his thoughts, and of course his art. I haven’t dwelled in his art for a bit, thanks for drawing me back in. It’s been a bit of a drought.
LikeLiked by 1 person