Farmhouses Among Trees 1883

Editor: This is "Farmhouses Among Trees," painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1883. It’s an oil painting, and it seems to capture a very still, quiet moment in the countryside. What strikes me most is the texture of the paint and the stark contrast of the buildings. What do you see in this piece, especially from a formalist point of view? Curator: Indeed. Observe first how the artist manipulates the medium itself. Van Gogh's impasto technique, readily visible in the application of the paint on the roofs and the suggestion of foliage, does more than merely depict; it activates the surface. Do you notice the arrangement of the horizontal lines in the ground plane versus the vertical thrust of the bare trees? Editor: I do now! It’s almost as if he's setting up a visual argument—nature against the man-made. Curator: Precisely! And note the subtle gradations in color—the browns and greens bleeding into each other, establishing depth without resorting to traditional perspective. What is the effect of the winding stream on your reading? Does it suggest a movement in contrast to the static forms of the buildings? Editor: That’s interesting, it gives the impression of leading the eye to the structures. I suppose the way he organizes the elements leads me to believe there's a dialogue between the stream, the farmhouses, and the trees. Curator: Precisely. Form creates meaning, and within the brushstrokes, composition and interplay of elements, we find Van Gogh's statement, quite divorced from biographical fallacy. It shows a tension, and an interplay, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Absolutely! Thinking about it, I wouldn't have noticed all the interplay between horizontal and vertical planes, and between colors, without this formalist lens. Curator: And, through close inspection, one is granted entry to the very language of the painting itself.