WR-Almond Blossom

Northwestern Mindanao State College
Of Science and Technology

College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
Written Report: Almond Blossom
Submitted by;
Jovy L. Salis
Erwin Mapon
Richmond Paborada
Maria Christine Jamo
Chinlee Bagsican
Mary Jane E. Daniel
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch painter
,generally considered to be the greatest
after Rembrandt van Rijn, and one of
the greatest of the Post-Impressionists.
He sold only one artwork during his life
, but in the century after his death he
became perhaps the most recognized
painter of all time. He is now famed for
the great vitality of his works which are
characterized by expressive and
emotive use of brilliant colour and Vincent van Gogh, Self-
energetic application of impastoed Portrait, 1887. Van Gogh
painted this on the back of a
paint. study for The Potato Eaters,
which he had made earlier in
Nuenen
He is also known as the artist who
cut off his own ear.
Almond Blossom (1890)

Large blossom branches like this against a blue sky were one of Van
Gogh’s favourite subjects. For Van Gogh, painting Almond
Blossom signified a new start. At the time, he had already been at
an asylum in Saint-Rémy for almost ten months. Due to an attack of
his illness, Vincent had not worked for weeks. He was now allowed
back outside to paint, surrounded by nature.
Vincent worked hard, but that cost him dearly. Once he had
completed the painting at the end of February, he had an attack
that lasted for two months; his longest ever crisis. Once he had
recovered, a new disappointment awaited: Vincent had missed his
beloved flowering season. Van Gogh borrowed the subject, the bold
outlines and the positioning of the tree in the picture plane from
Japanese printmaking.
The painting was a gift for his brother Theo and sister-in-law Jo, who
had just had a baby son, Vincent Willem. In the letter announcing
the new arrival, Theo wrote: ‘As we told you, we’ll name him after
you, and I’m making the wish that he may be as determined and as
courageous as you.’ Unsurprisingly, it was this work that remained
closest to the hearts of the Van Gogh family. Almond Blossom was
so precious to Jo and her son that it was never to be sold. And that’s
why to this very day, it is on display at the Van Gogh Museum.
Vincent (junior) at the opening

of the Van Gogh Museum in
Jo Bonger in her with her
1973
son Vincent and Johan
surrounded by paintings of
Vincent van Gogh, 1910-
1911.
Visual/Context Analysis
Color
In this painting, color symbolizes an emotion . The blue in the
background creates a melancholy aura, as does the addition of
other muted or soft colors. He utilized dark outlines along the
branches of the blossom tree painting leaving most of the flowers
without any outlines, which gives them a softness against the darker
lines from the branches while The pale pink in the flowers adds a
touch of happiness or hope. Everything coming together to create a
soft interpretation or message.
Line
The primary element that I notice is the lack of straight lines.
Everything is curved, and somewhat fluid which suggest a more
“calm” or at “ease” feeling (Arty Factory). The branches have
circular notches or knobs which allow for this curvature.
Shape
The brush lines appear like fluid semi-circular shapes along the
tree branches, giving them a rounded shape, further enhancing a
sense of three-dimensionality. It is also reminiscent of an element of
painting in a free-flowing expressiveness, a characteristic of the
Post-Impressionists, while simultaneously depicting a “real” object
en plein air.
Texture
If we look at the brushwork on the van Gogh Almond tree, he
applied the paint thicker in some areas and thinner in others. We
can observe more texture in the “closer” branches, and it fades as
we get farther away. This gives the observer depth and while it is
post-impressionism, we get a taste of realism.
Historical or Cultural Influence
During the 1800s when van Gogh painted, he mostly worked
within the Post-Impressionist movement of the time. This style of art
developed as a reaction to the previous art movement called
Impressionism, which sought to depict the world as it occurred,
oftentimes with all the imperfections that would come with it. Also ,
He was inspired by Japanese prints where These prints often zoom
in on details from nature, and the image was sometimes cropped.
Message
His overall message for the piece was to symbolize new beginnings
or new life. Much like summer that welcomes those blossoms, he
wants people to welcome every new opportunity that the world
brings them. He uses the infancy of the blossoms to represent this
message of new beginnings and change. And he uses the beauty of
the blossoms and the piece as a whole to represent the beauty and
possibility that change can bring to you. Overall conveying the
feeling that change and new starts are a positive thing, and that
they can provide almost endless opportunity.

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Northwestern Mindanao State College

Of Science and Technology

Written Report: Almond Blossom

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)

Almond Blossom (1890)

Vincent (junior) at the opening

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