Montmartre; mills and vegetable gardens 1887

Vincent van Gogh’s painting of ‘Montmartre; mills and vegetable gardens’ captures a moment in the transformation of Paris. Painted while van Gogh was living with his brother Theo in Paris, the scene depicts the rural landscape of Montmartre, then on the edge of the city. Here, traditional windmills stand alongside vegetable gardens, offering a glimpse into a world that was soon to disappear as Paris modernized at the end of the 19th century. Van Gogh's choice to paint this location speaks to his interest in capturing everyday life and the changing urban landscape. To understand van Gogh’s work, we need to look at archival sources, urban planning documents, and period photographs. This helps us understand the social and economic forces at play in Paris. Ultimately, van Gogh's painting serves as a window into a specific moment in time, one caught between tradition and modernity.