Artwork
Road with Cypress and Star
Road with Cypress and Star is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the Kröller-Müller Museum.
About this work
Overview
Road with Cypress and Star is an oil-on-canvas work completed in 1890 by Dutch post‑Impressionist Vincent van Gogh. It represents the final picture he produced while residing in the asylum at Saint‑Rémy‑de‑Provence, France. The canvas now belongs to the extensive van Gogh collection of the Kröller‑Müller Museum in the Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a winding country lane flanked by a solitary, dark cypress that rises sharply on the left. The road disappears toward a modest village, its rooftops and a church spire faintly outlined. Above, a luminous yellow star dominates the night sky, casting a focused light that draws the eye upward along the tree and road.
Technique & Style
Van Gogh employs his characteristic thick impasto, laying down bold, saturated hues that convey movement and emotional intensity. The brushwork is vigorous, with swirling strokes that animate the sky and foliage, while the heavy texture of the paint enhances the sense of tactile presence and dynamic tension within the scene.
History & Provenance
Created during van Gogh’s final months at Saint‑Rémy, the painting entered the collection of Dutch collector Helene Kröller‑Müller in the early 20th century. It has remained in the Kröller‑Müller Museum’s holdings, displayed alongside other works from the artist’s prolific late period.
Context
The work belongs to van Gogh’s series of nocturnal landscapes, where he explored the interplay of light and darkness. The cypress, a recurring motif in his Provence paintings, serves as a vertical counterpoint to the horizontal sweep of the road, echoing his interest in balancing natural forms.
Legacy
Road with Cypress and Star illustrates van Gogh’s mature synthesis of color, line, and emotional expression, influencing subsequent generations of expressionist and modernist painters who sought to convey inner feeling through vigorous brushwork and vivid palettes.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art.
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