Isabella Flores
In the last weeks of his life, Vincent van Gogh painted a series of thirteen large canvases of horizontal landscapes of wheat fields in Auvers. One of these paintings, completed in 1890, was Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds. This painting is notable for its emotional depth and dramatic mood, with Van Gogh himself stating that he intended to express sadness, extreme loneliness through the depiction of an expansive wheat field beneath a turbulent sky.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 1890 |
| Artist | Vincent Van Gogh |
| Location | Auvers |
| Collection | Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 50 x 100 cm |
| Colours | Gold, green, blue, red |
| Brushstrokes | Thick, swirling, heavy, horizontal |
| Series | Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds, Wheatfield with Crows |
| Inspiration | Nature, countryside, emotions |
| Themes | Sadness, loneliness, solitude, nature, mortality, mental state |
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What You'll Learn
Van Gogh's emotional state
In the spring of 1890, Vincent van Gogh found himself in a state of emotional turmoil and instability. He was experiencing a recurrence of the mental health issues that had plagued him for much of his life, including periods of deep depression and anxiety. This particular episode was triggered by a combination of factors, including his recent move to Auvers-sur-Oise, a small town north of Paris, and his growing sense of isolation and loneliness. Van Gogh had hoped that his time in Auvers would provide him with the peace and inspiration he needed to continue his artistic career, but instead, he found himself struggling with his mental health once again.
Despite his emotional struggles, Van Gogh remained dedicated to his art during this period. He painted tirelessly, often working en plein air to capture the beautiful and serene countryside around Auvers. One of the paintings he created during this time is 'Wheatfield under Thunderclouds,' which he completed in July 1890. This painting is a vivid and expressive landscape, depicting a vast field of wheat under a dramatic sky filled with dark, rolling clouds. The brushwork is bold and dynamic, capturing the intense and unsettled nature of the scene.
The painting reflects Van Gogh's own emotional state at the time. The threatening sky and dark clouds can be interpreted as a visual representation of his turbulent mind, while the golden wheat field symbolizes resilience and the enduring beauty of nature. Even in the face of his mental health struggles, Van Gogh found solace and inspiration in the natural world, and this is evident in 'Wheatfield under Thunderclouds.'
In the months following the completion of 'Wheatfield under Thunderclouds,' Van Gogh's mental health continued to deteriorate. Despite the support of his brother Theo and the guidance of his doctor, he was unable to find lasting stability. Ultimately, his emotional turmoil led to his tragic and untimely death in July 1890, just a few short months after he painted the wheat field in Auvers.
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The painting's composition
Vincent van Gogh painted Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds in the first half of July 1890. It was one of the final works he created before his death.
The painting is characterised by its elongated format, which is unusual and emphasises the grandeur of the landscape. The composition is simple, consisting of two horizontal planes. The top plane depicts a bright blue sky as darker blue thunderclouds roll in, while the bottom plane is a bright green field dotted with red blooming flowers.
The bright, lively greens of the fields and the reds of the flowers contrast with the deep blue of the thunderclouds. The noticeable brush strokes begin to disappear where the sky meets the field, and the blue is at its deepest. This blurring of the brush strokes could be interpreted as a reflection of the fogginess and heaviness of mental illness and one's thoughts.
Van Gogh himself wrote to his brother Theo about his paintings of wheat fields under turbulent skies:
> I'd almost believe that these canvases will tell you what I can't say in words, what I consider healthy and fortifying about the countryside.
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Van Gogh's use of colour
Vincent van Gogh painted "Wheatfield under Thunderclouds" in 1890, in the last few weeks of his life. The painting is a horizontal landscape of the wheat harvest that occurs in the region from the middle to late July.
"Wheatfield under Thunderclouds" is one of Van Gogh's striking landscape paintings. It portrays an expansive wheat field under a dramatic sky filled with swirling thunderclouds. The painting is characterised by its dramatic use of colour, simplicity in composition, and intense energy. Van Gogh used his signature impasto technique, applying thick layers of paint to create texture and depth.
The painting's colour palette consists of golden wheat fields contrasting with deep, dark blues and greens of the sky. The bright lively greens of the fields and the reds of the blooming flowers contrast with the deep blue of the thunderclouds. Van Gogh's use of bold, intense hues adds a supernatural energy to the scene. The thick, swirling brushstrokes in the sky create a sense of movement, while the horizontal strokes in the wheat field give it a sense of stillness and serenity.
The painting's emotional depth reflects Van Gogh's own emotional state at the time. The threatening sky above the golden wheat field suggests a tension between peace and chaos, mirroring the artist's emotional struggles and moments of serenity interrupted by periods of inner turmoil. The noticeable brush strokes begin to disappear where the sky meets the field, creating a fog-like effect that may represent the heaviness of mental illness.
Overall, "Wheatfield under Thunderclouds" is a powerful and evocative work that showcases Van Gogh's distinctive use of colour and brushstrokes to convey a range of emotions and themes.
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The painting's journey
Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds is one of Vincent van Gogh's most striking and powerful paintings, completed in the last weeks of his life in 1890. The painting is a horizontal landscape of a wheat harvest, one of thirteen large canvases in the series. Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo and sister-in-law Jo about this painting, describing it as an "immense stretch of wheatfield under a turbulent sky". He added that he intended to bring the painting to Paris as soon as possible, as "these canvases will tell you what I cannot say in words, what I consider healthy and fortifying about the countryside".
The painting was completed in the first half of July 1890, and by the time of Van Gogh's death on 29 July 1890, it was already with Theo in Paris. After Theo's death in January 1891, it was inherited by his widow, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, who loaned the painting to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam from 1917 to 1919.
The painting then went on a journey through several museums and galleries, being exhibited in Amsterdam at the Stedelijk Museum until 1973, and then on permanent loan to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. It has also been displayed at various museums in the United States, including the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others, between 1968 and 1971.
Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds is known for its dramatic use of colour, with bright, lively greens and reds contrasting with the deep blue of the thunderclouds. The heavy, swirling brushstrokes in the sky create a sense of movement, while the horizontal strokes in the wheat field give it a sense of stillness. This contrast in brushwork adds to the emotional tension of the painting, reflecting Van Gogh's own emotional state at the time.
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The painting's interpretation
In the spring of 1890, Van Gogh painted 'Wheatfield under Thunderclouds', a work that demonstrates his unique ability to convey powerful emotions through landscape painting. This painting is a testament to his skill in capturing the beauty and drama of nature, as well as his own emotional state.
The painting depicts a vast wheat field under a dark, threatening sky. The clouds are heavy and low, casting a foreboding shadow over the golden wheat. Despite the dark sky, the wheat field is illuminated, with the sun's rays breaking through, creating a sense of warmth and hope. This contrast between the menacing sky and the vibrant, alive wheat field is a powerful feature of the work. The wheat field, though bathed in light, is not untouched by the storm—it bends and moves with the wind, a reminder of the power and force of nature.
Van Gogh's use of color is a key element of this painting's interpretation. The golden wheat contrasts with the dark, stormy sky, a classic Van Gogh use of complementary colors to create a sense of drama and emotion. The yellow and orange hues of the wheat, lit by the sun, represent life, energy, and warmth, while the deep blues and purples of the sky convey a sense of gloom and impending danger. The green hills in the background add a further contrast, providing a sense of peace and calm, a respite from the drama of the sky and wheat field.
The painting can be interpreted as a reflection of Van Gogh's own emotional state at the time. The dark, threatening sky could represent the artist's internal turmoil and the struggles he faced with his mental health. The wheat field, though affected by the storm, remains vibrant and full of life, perhaps symbolizing Van Gogh's own resilience and desire to find beauty and hope, even in the face of his struggles.
'Wheatfield under Thunderclouds' is a powerful example of Van Gogh's ability to convey emotion and tell a story through his landscapes. The contrast between the threatening sky and the illuminated wheat field creates a sense of tension and drama, while the use of color conveys a range of emotions. This work invites the viewer to reflect on the power of nature and the human condition, offering a glimpse into Van Gogh's own internal world.
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Frequently asked questions
Van Gogh painted Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds in 1890.
The painting is currently displayed at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds is one of Van Gogh's most powerful and evocative works, known for its emotional depth and dramatic mood. The painting is believed to reflect Van Gogh's own emotional state, expressing sadness and extreme loneliness while also capturing the beauty and turbulence of nature.
Van Gogh used his signature impasto technique in Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds, applying thick layers of paint to create texture and depth. The painting is characterized by heavy, swirling brushstrokes in the sky and more horizontal strokes in the wheat field, adding to the emotional tension of the scene.
