Orchard in Blossom Plum Trees by Vincent Van Gogh Postcard

Orchard in Blossom (Plum Trees) by Vincent Van Gogh, oil on canvas 1888, is a landscape painting of rows of flowering fruit trees amid green grass and small white flowers in pleasant rural fields beneath a soft, grey sky. Painted in soft tones of thinly applied, broken brushstrokes of harmonious colors, the picture demonstrates the absorption of the lessons of Impressionism and modern painting that Van Gogh was able to apply in a more personal manner while living in Arles in the south of France. Expressive, scumbled strokes of paint define the inner life of trees while soft whites and pinks capture the glowing softness of the plum blossoms. Vincent Van Gogh (1853 - 1890) was a Dutch painter of the Post-Impressionist movement known for bold, expressive drawing, swirling brushstrokes and intense, heightened colors. In early adulthood Van Gogh worked as an art dealer, teacher and pastor before taking up the full time study of drawing and painting in his late twenties. Influenced by Rembrandt, the 19th century Realists and Barbizon school, Van Gogh’s early paintings featured studies of workers and peasants in somber earth tones. Moving to France in 1886, Van Gogh met with the startling innovations of the Impressionist painters and began to apply their approach to color and subject matter, which continued into the mature style for which the artist is most renowned. Van Gogh produced many hundreds of drawings and paintings including portraits, landscapes, still life and flower paintings, and numerous self-portraits that became a dominating influence on the modern art of the 20th century and made him one of the most popular artists of all time.