Landscape with Alphonse Daudet's Windmill 1888

This drawing of Alphonse Daudet's windmill was made by Vincent van Gogh using reed pen and brown ink. Observe the windmill atop the hill, an enduring symbol of human ingenuity harnessing nature's power. Throughout history, the windmill has appeared in various forms, from ancient Persia to medieval Europe. But consider its deeper symbolic resonance: the turning blades evoke the cyclical nature of life, the endless dance of creation and destruction. Much like the wheel of fortune or the cosmic cycles depicted in ancient mandalas, the windmill reminds us of the relentless passage of time and the interconnectedness of all things. What van Gogh captures here is not merely a landscape, but a meditation on the eternal rhythms that shape our existence.