Vineyards at Auvers 1890

"Vineyards at Auvers" was painted by Vincent van Gogh using oil paints on canvas. The materiality of oil paint – its pigment, viscosity, and drying time – allowed van Gogh to apply thick, expressive strokes, capturing the landscape's texture. Look closely, and you’ll see how the paint is applied in short, directional marks, building up the image almost like a mosaic. Van Gogh’s technique wasn’t just about representation. It was about conveying the energy and movement he felt in the landscape. The repetitive, almost rhythmic application of paint could be seen as analogous to the labor of tending vineyards – a process deeply connected to the cycles of nature and the hard work of farmers. "Vineyards at Auvers" invites us to think about painting not just as a window onto the world, but as a physical process, imbued with the artist's labor and emotional state. By emphasizing the making of the work, we appreciate its connection to both the artistic and agricultural contexts of its time.