Almonds flowers introduction

Almonds have been found in the ancient Greek tombs dating back to 8000 BC. In a society where philosophy was so important, the almond fruit came to symbolise knowledge, the ‘secret’ meaning hidden within, that has to be ‘cracked’ from its shell. The known and unknown world present in the almond’s form. Hence the term ‘kernel’s of wisdom’. The Romans showered newlyweds with almonds as a fertility charm. Almond trees are self-infertile and require cross fertilisation, for this reason the honeybees are essential to almond trees often colonising the trees themselves. Due to its early flowering the almond tree came to herald the arrival of spring, symbolising birth and resurrection.

Almond Blossoms is a group of several paintings made in 1888 and 1890 by Vincent van Gogh in Arles and Saint-Rémy, southern France of blossoming almond trees. Flowering trees were special to Van Gogh. They represented awakening and hope. He enjoyed them aesthetically and found joy in painting flowering trees. The works reflect Impressionist, Divisionist and Japanese woodcut influences. Almond Blossoms was made to celebrate the birth of his nephew and namesake, son of his brother Theo and sister-in-law Jo.

More information about "Almond Blossom"

Composition

Already in Arles, Van Gogh had been fascinated by the orchards, filled with apricot, peach and plum trees and in full bloom at the time of his arrival in March 1888. The composition of Almond Blossom is, however, both unusual and unique in Vincent’s oeuvre. The branches seem to float against the blue sky, and it is unclear if they are still part of the tree or set in a vase, as in one of his earlier works. With an unusual regularity, the entire pictorial surface has been filled with branches, which are further accented by the use of dark contours. Both this sharp outlining and the placement of the tree were certainly inspired by Japanese prints, which Van Gogh had seen for the first time in Paris. This influence can also be seen in a number of other paintings.