In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, artists no longer felt the need to create works that showed nature exactly as it appeared. Photography now provided an accurate record of the world. Paint became available in small portable tubes in a wider variety of colors. Artists were now able to bring their canvases outside and were free to experiment with light and color, and to express their feelings through painting.

The French Impressionists were interested in painting light and how it reflected off objects and surfaces. They painted "impressions" of the world with short, expressive brushstrokes and dabs of brilliant colors. Van Gogh met many of the Impressionist painters at his brother's gallery in Paris. Van Gogh learned much about painting from the Impressionists, but he went on to develop his own style.

Van Gogh often painted outdoors, directly from nature, rather than in a studio from his memory or imagination. However, van Gogh did not paint exactly what he saw. Instead, he used bright, bold colors and exaggerated lines. He distorted the shape of objects in order to communicate the intensity of his thoughts and emotions. He did not sketch his scenes first, but painted directly on the canvas, applying his paint with thick, strong strokes.

This is a photograph of real olive trees. In what ways has van Gogh exaggerated the appearance of real olive trees in his painting?

Olive Trees is an exaggeration of reality. The branches of the trees curve and twist, the ground rolls like waves, and the sun blazes in a brilliant bright yellow. The short, powerful brushstrokes seem almost to have a life of their own, and are exploding with energy. The colors van Gogh used were often symbolic. To him, yellow symbolized love and light, red and green conveyed passion and conflict, blue was infinity, and gray was associated with surrender.

Vocabulary Terms

brushstrokes--The movement of the paintbrush as it appears on the painting surface.

Impressionism--A movement in painting in which the emphasis on light and color, loose brush strokes, ordinary subject matter; creates the "impression" of a moment in time. Dabs and strokes of color are used to depict the natural appearances of objects and reflected light.

symbolic--The practice of using something, usually an object or sign, to represent something else, usually intangible, such as an idea or concept.

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