Wheat Field with Cypresses 1889

Vincent van Gogh made this pen and ink drawing of a wheat field with cypresses, using graphite underdrawing, while in France. Van Gogh sought refuge in the landscapes of Provence and captured the undulating movement of the wheat in the wind. He wrote to his brother Theo: “These landscapes do me more good than any amount of medicine”. His words express the emotional and psychological dimensions of this piece, but it is hard to ignore that Van Gogh’s mental health issues informed his perception of and relationship to the world around him. Wheat Field with Cypresses is not just a landscape. It is a deeply personal expression of van Gogh's quest for solace and connection to nature during times of immense personal struggle. The image remains a poignant symbol of the dialogue between inner turmoil and the search for peace, deeply rooted in the cultural and personal experience of the artist.