Boulevard de Clichy 1887

Vincent van Gogh made this painting of the Boulevard de Clichy in Paris using oil on canvas. Van Gogh painted this Parisian street scene while living with his brother Theo in 1887. During this time, Paris was changing drastically. The city was modernizing, and new architecture was on the rise. Van Gogh's painting captures a slice of this modern urban life, the wide boulevard lined with buildings, trees, and a few figures walking along the street. The painting shows the influence of Impressionism with its light colors and visible brushstrokes. However, Van Gogh's unique style also shows how he was starting to move away from the Impressionist movement, developing his own distinct way of representing the world. Historians use letters, newspapers and exhibition catalogues from this time to understand Van Gogh’s position within the avant-garde art scene in Paris and the ways this painting captured a specific moment in the city’s history.