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Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890), ‘Wheat Field with Cypresses,’ June 1889. Oil on canvas, 28 7/8 by 36 3/4in. (73.2 by 93.4cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, purchase, the Annenberg Foundation gift, 1993 (1993.132)

The trees that please: Met devotes show to van Gogh’s Cypresses

Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890), ‘Wheat Field with Cypresses,’ June 1889. Oil on canvas,28 7/8 by 36 3/4in. (73.2 by 93.4cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, purchase, the Annenberg Foundation gift, 1993 (1993.132)
Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890), ‘Wheat Field with Cypresses,’ June 1889. Oil on canvas, 28 7/8 by 36 3/4in. (73.2 by 93.4cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, purchase, the Annenberg Foundation gift, 1993 (1993.132)

NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Museum of Art has planned a groundbreaking exhibition of some 40 works by Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) that will be on view at the Met Fifth Avenue from May 22 through August 27. Van Gogh’s Cypresses will be the first show to focus on the unique vision the artist brought to bear on the towering trees — among the most famous in the history of art — affording an unprecedented perspective on a motif virtually synonymous with Van Gogh’s fiercely original power of expression.

A range of stunning artworks will illuminate the extent of Van Gogh’s fascination with the region’s flamelike evergreens as they successively sparked, fueled and stoked his imagination during the course of two years in the South of France: from his initial sightings of the “tall and dark” trees in Arles to realizing their full evocative potential (“as I see them”) at the asylum in Saint-Remy. Iconic paintings such as Wheat Field with Cypresses and The Starry Night will take their place as the centerpiece of this historic exhibition, which will only be presented at the Met.

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890), ‘The Starry Night,’ June 1889. Oil on canvas, 29 by 36 1/4in. (73.7 by 92.1cm). Museum of Modern Art, New York. Acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss bequest (by exchange), 1941; conservation was made possible by the Bank of America Art Conservation Project. Digital Image © The Museum of Modern Art / Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY
Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890), ‘The Starry Night,’ June 1889. Oil on canvas, 29 by 36 1/4in. (73.7 by 92.1cm). Museum of Modern Art, New York. Acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss bequest (by exchange), 1941; conservation was made possible by the Bank of America Art Conservation Project. Digital Image © The Museum of Modern Art / Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY

The exhibition is made possible by the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Janice H. Levin Fund, Katharine Rayner, and the Aaron I. Fleischman and Lin Lougheed Fund.

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) ‘Cypresses,’ June 1889. Oil on canvas, 36 3/4 by 29 1/8in. (93.4 by 74cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1949 (49.30)
Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) ‘Cypresses,’ June 1889. Oil on canvas, 36 3/4 by 29 1/8in. (93.4 by 74cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1949 (49.30)

“The show is a dream come true,” said Marina Kellen French Director of the Met Max Hollein. “Marking the 170th-anniversary year of his birth, this highly focused survey unpacks Van Gogh’s distinctive vision of the commanding cypress trees. A once-in-a-lifetime gathering of works presents both an overview and an intimate glimpse of his creative process, challenging prevailing notions with fresh insights.”

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890), ‘A Wheatfield, with Cypresses,’ September 1889. Oil on canvas, 28 3/8 by 35 13/16in. (72.1 by 90.9cm). The National Gallery, London. Bought, Courtauld Fund, 1923 Photo © The National Gallery, London
Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890), ‘A Wheatfield, with Cypresses,’ September 1889. Oil on canvas, 28 3/8 by 35 13/16in. (72.1 by 90.9cm). The National Gallery, London. Bought, Courtauld Fund, 1923 Photo © The National Gallery, London

Juxtaposing landmark paintings with precious drawings and illustrated letters — many rarely, if ever, lent or exhibited together — this tightly conceived thematic exhibition will offer an extraordinary opportunity to appreciate anew some of Van Gogh’s most celebrated works in a context that will reveal the backstory of their invention for the first time.

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890), ‘Country Road in Provence by Night,’ May 1890. Oil on canvas, 35 11/16 by 28 3/8in. (90.6 by 72cm).Kroller-Muller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands Photo credit: Collection Kroller-Muller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands, photo by Rik Klein Gotink
Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890), ‘Country Road in Provence by Night,’ May 1890. Oil on canvas, 35 11/16 by 28 3/8in. (90.6 by 72cm). Kroller-Muller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands Photo credit: Collection Kroller-Muller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands, photo by Rik Klein Gotink

Anchored by the Met’s Wheat Field with Cypresses and Cypresses, highlights of the exhibition will include The Starry Night (Museum of Modern Art, New York), A Wheatfield, with Cypresses (the National Gallery, London), and Country Road in Provence by Night (Kroller-Muller Museum, Otterlo), as well as drawings from the Art Institute of Chicago, Brooklyn Museum, and the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

Engelhard Curator of Nineteenth-Century European Painting at the Met Susan Alyson Stein added: “To an extent that has gone unrecognized, Van Gogh brought his trademark ambition, determination, and a rare degree of consideration — and reconsideration — to giving signature form to the storied cypresses in works as striking for their originality as for their continuity of vision.”

Visit the website of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and see its dedicated page for Van Gogh’s Cypresses.