Cottages and Cypresses: Reminiscence of the North 1890

Vincent van Gogh painted Cottages and Cypresses: Reminiscence of the North using oil on canvas, a medium that allowed him to build up layers of texture, and the image evokes his native land. Though painted in the south of France, the scene recalls the landscapes of Van Gogh’s earlier life in the Netherlands. It invites us to consider the politics of imagery and the social conditions that shape artistic production. Did Van Gogh paint this rural scene in response to a growing nostalgia for a pre-industrial world? Was he critiquing the rapid urbanization and industrialization happening across Europe at the time? Perhaps art institutions can tell us more? To answer these questions, we might turn to the artist’s letters, the writings of contemporary social critics, and the records of art dealers and galleries who supported artists like Van Gogh. Through careful research, we come to better understand how art reflects and engages with the social and institutional context of its time.