Public Garden with a Couple and a Blue Fir Tree 1888

This is a drawing by Vincent van Gogh titled “Public Garden with a Couple and a Blue Fir Tree.” It is a sketch, likely made in 1888, that depicts a couple walking beneath a large tree in a garden. It is a simple composition, relying on the lines of the pen and ink to give the impression of depth and perspective. The use of hatching and cross-hatching is a characteristic of van Gogh’s style. The image is a study of the use of light and shadow, in which the figures in the foreground stand out sharply against the background. This drawing shows how van Gogh used preliminary sketches to capture his fleeting ideas and then later transformed them into his famous paintings.