Road with Cypresses 1890

Curator: "Road with Cypresses," painted by Van Gogh in 1890, employing oil paint, showcases his characteristic impasto technique. The swirls and vibrant colours create a striking and memorable image. What's your initial take on this work? Editor: It's beautiful, really captivating. I’m struck by how alive the landscape seems, particularly the cypress tree. But when I look closely, I can’t help but wonder about the thick application of the paint and why he chose that technique. It’s very textured; what might this tell us? Curator: Precisely. Consider the context of its production: 1890, a time of increasing industrialization, the advent of mass-produced materials like pre-mixed paints becoming readily available. Van Gogh embraces these very material qualities. What is the social significance of such embrace? Editor: Hmmm, perhaps, he is highlighting the labour and the sheer materiality, a conscious act that acknowledges the process itself. Curator: Exactly. The materiality is no longer hidden, and consider also the economic status of labourers. He might elevate the dignity of labor by showing his artistic work. Look at those thickly applied brushstrokes: isn’t it akin to the tangible evidence of physical effort, of work? The painting almost becomes a record of the labor of its own making. Do you agree that we can view the painting process through this social perspective? Editor: I think so. I hadn't considered the social implications of the material and the artistic choices this way, that connects van Gogh’s practice to broader discussions about labor. Thank you. Curator: Indeed! It urges us to look beyond aesthetic appreciation and delve into the socio-economic context that influenced the artwork's very production. Editor: Fascinating; seeing it as a record of artistic labor and a product of its time really reframes how I perceive Van Gogh's paintings.