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Vincent van Gogh, 1887
This vibrant painting by Van Gogh is a direct copy of a Japanese print by Hiroshige, showcasing the artist's fascination with Japanese art and his evolving Post-Impressionist style while living in Paris.
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In 1887, while living in Paris, Vincent van Gogh created "Flowering plum tree, after Hiroshige." This work is a vivid example of his deep engagement with Japanese ukiyo-e prints, a popular influence among the Parisian avant-garde at the time. Van Gogh meticulously copied this composition from a print by Utagawa Hiroshige, one of the great masters of the genre, transforming it with his signature Post-Impressionist brushwork and vibrant color palette. During his time in Paris, Van Gogh met with other artists like Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin, who were also exploring new artistic directions away from Impressionism. His paintings from this period, including still lifes and local landscapes, began to grow brighter in color, moving towards the expressive style that would fully blossom in Arles. This particular piece, with its bold outlines and flattened perspective, showcases how Van Gogh absorbed and reinterpreted Japanese aesthetics, contributing to the foundations of modern art with his dramatic and impulsive brushwork.
Van Gogh's signature impasto brushstrokes
Vibrant, non-naturalistic colors
Bold outlines, typical of Japanese prints
This vibrant painting by Van Gogh is a direct copy of a Japanese print by Hiroshige, showcasing the artist's fascination with Japanese art and his evolving Pos…
Vincent van Gogh, whose vibrant brushwork and bold colors transformed landscapes and portraits, created 2,100 artworks in just over a decade.
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