Daubigny's Garden 1890

Editor: So here we have Van Gogh's "Daubigny's Garden" from 1890, hanging here at the Kunstmuseum Basel. It's an oil painting, and right away I’m struck by the sense of peaceful, maybe even melancholy, beauty. There's almost a dream-like quality. What draws your eye to this piece? Curator: You know, it’s funny, every time I see this painting, I feel like I'm walking into Van Gogh's memory of a garden. It’s almost… overgrown, buzzing with life and the echoes of summer. What do you make of all that green? Editor: It feels kind of overwhelming, like the garden is reclaiming the space. Almost consuming it. Curator: Precisely! Look at the brushstrokes. The impasto. Thick swirls of paint, as if he’s wrestling with the canvas to capture the raw energy of nature, don't you think? It feels intensely personal to me – his emotions splashed right there, for everyone to see. Have you heard much about the background of it being painted close to his death? Editor: Yes, but looking at it… knowing the context makes those wild brushstrokes seem like more than just an artistic choice. There’s almost a frantic energy here. Curator: Exactly! Now, does that little black cat at the bottom strike you as odd? Editor: It does! I hadn’t really focused on it until you pointed it out. Is it supposed to represent something? Curator: Who knows with Van Gogh, maybe he simply like painting cats. Maybe it's symbolic, a small detail full of emotion. I have no clue, but you're now part of its continuing story! Editor: That's pretty incredible. Thanks, that gives me a new way of approaching not just Van Gogh, but art in general! Curator: My pleasure!