Landscape with wheat sheaves and rising moon

Van Gogh applied thick, textured strokes of oil paint to build form and movement across the field and sky. The golden wheat sheaves and warm yellow field contrast with the pale blue of the twilight atmosphere and the bright yellow moon. His brushwork is energetic yet deliberate, creating a tactile surface that animates the stillness of the scene without disrupting its calm mood.

Created during van Gogh’s stay at the asylum in Saint-Rémy, the painting was likely made outdoors, as were many of his works from this period. It entered the Kröller-Müller collection in the early 20th century through the acquisitions of Helene Kröller-Müller, who systematically gathered his paintings. The work has remained in the museum’s holdings since its acquisition.

This piece belongs to a series of landscapes van Gogh painted in 1889, responding to the fields surrounding Saint-Rémy. He was deeply influenced by the rhythms of nature and the emotional resonance of rural life. During this time, he produced over 150 paintings, many of which explored the interplay of light, color, and the cyclical nature of the seasons.

The painting exemplifies van Gogh’s mature style, where emotional intensity is conveyed through color and texture rather than narrative detail. It contributed to the broader recognition of his vision in the decades after his death, particularly among collectors and institutions committed to modern art. Today, it remains a key example of his late-period landscape work.