Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) felt a profound empathy with the natural environment, and considered the spiritual essence of trees to be comparable with that of human figures. Vincent’s Trees traces Van Gogh’s development as a painter of trees in the natural landscape – from his home province of North Brabant, through Paris to Provence. Ralph Skea’s elegant prose is accompanied by Van Gogh’s vibrant illustrations of trees, which range from pencil and ink sketches to watercolours and oil. Stylistic experiments encompassing Pointillism and compositions inspired by Japanese prints give way to the expressive, painterly depictions of his later work. The book also includes quotes from Van Gogh’s letters, which convey the depth of his feeling for the natural landscape, and the force with which it affected him.
