Olive Picking 1889

Vincent van Gogh painted ‘Olive Picking’ with oil on canvas during his stay at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy, France. Here, in 1889, Van Gogh found himself surrounded by the undulating landscapes of Provence. Though institutionalized, Van Gogh was far from isolated. He immersed himself in the life around him, and in ‘Olive Picking’ he depicts the laborers who were a vital part of the region’s economy and culture. Olive trees, gnarled and resilient, stand as silent witnesses to generations of human activity. The figures, rendered with broad strokes, are not mere bystanders but active participants in the harvesting of the land’s bounty. This painting, like much of Van Gogh’s oeuvre, is deeply personal and reflects his profound connection to the natural world. Van Gogh once wrote about the olive trees, saying he felt “too moved” to capture them in their true essence. These trees, symbols of antiquity, speak to the enduring human relationship with the land. Van Gogh's landscape painting invites us to contemplate our own place within the rhythms of nature and labor.