Vincent van Gogh
Today's Vincent van Gogh's Birthday! :) Who else could we feature on this day? :)
Vincent van Gogh's Landscape under a Turbulent Sky is among the most striking of the artist's Arles landscapes, painted during the height of his creative output. In this composition, a lush, green meadow is depicted under the ominous threat of an approaching storm. The scene brims with tension, heightened by the hurried laborers striving to finish their tasks before the rain descends. It was completed just two months before the legendary Starry Night, mere weeks before Van Gogh left Arles to enter the asylum at Saint-Paul de Mausole in Saint-Rémy. Both works show the grandeur of nature and its unpredictable forces, reflecting the artist's profound connection to his environment.
Today's work was painted during a tumultuous phase in Van Gogh’s life. Following the collapse of his collaboration with Paul Gauguin in December 1888 and subsequent hospitalization, Van Gogh faced both personal and societal challenges. Despite this, he continued to channel his emotions into his art, producing works imbued with both vibrancy and melancholy.
The painting captures spring's fleeting effects, featuring a couple amidst a blossoming field and dramatic, thickly painted clouds. The juxtaposition of light and dark elements reflects Van Gogh’s emotional state, marked by both vitality and underlying sadness. As Van Gogh described in his letters to his brother Theo, he grappled with episodes of anxiety and fatigue, often uncertain about his future. This melancholy, however, found expression in works like Landscape under a Turbulent Sky, where personal struggle and natural beauty intertwine.
Have a calm Sunday, everyone!
P.S. Follow the life and incredible works of Vincent van Gogh with our Van Gogh Notebook—check it out in the DailyArt Shop! On the occasion of Vincent's birthday anniversary, all products that feature his works are now 25% off! Enjoy :)
P.P.S. Take this Van Gogh QUIZ and see how much you know about the genius' life!