A Meadow in the Mountains: Le Mas de Saint-Paul

The wheat, freshly sprouted, conveys a sense of seasonal renewal, while the lilac‑hued mountains in the distance suggest a calm, enduring backdrop.

The work portrays a cultivated meadow bordered by the rolling silhouettes of the Provençal landscape. The wheat, freshly sprouted, conveys a sense of seasonal renewal, while the lilac‑hued mountains in the distance suggest a calm, enduring backdrop. The juxtaposition of cultivated land and natural scenery reflects van Gogh’s fascination with the harmony between human activity and the surrounding environment.

Executed in oil on canvas, the painting employs van Gogh’s characteristic vigorous brushwork and vivid color contrasts. The wheat is rendered with short, rhythmic strokes that convey movement, while the sky and mountains are treated with broader, smoother passages, creating a layered effect that emphasizes depth and atmospheric light.

Van Gogh dispatched the canvas to his brother Theo on 3 January 1890, referring to it in his correspondence as The Fields. After passing through several private collections, the painting entered the holdings of the Kröller‑Müller Museum in Otterlo, the Netherlands, where it remains on public display.

The painting originates from van Gogh’s stay at the Saint‑Paul asylum near Saint‑Rémy, where he was granted a studio cell adjacent to his confinement area. Confined initially to the asylum’s garden, he later ventured beyond its walls, capturing the wheat fields, olive groves, and cypress trees that defined the Provençal countryside. This period yielded roughly 150 works, illustrating his prolific output under constrained circumstances.