Olive Orchards against a Slope of a Hill

Catalogue numbers: F 716, JH 1878.

By moving to Saint-Rémy in 1889 van Gogh found a new set of motifs that captured his interest. He discovered the olive groves and cypresses, which became quintessential images of Provence for him. For the present canvas of an olive grove he chose a bird's eye view from a distance, possibly standing on another hill. The decorative bands of colour are based on a common feature of the Saint-Rémy landscape where the hilly ground forces the farmers to create terraces in order to plant the trees. It invited the artist to create patterns of colour alternating between reddish brown and yellowish green that introduce a complementary colour contrast. The shape of the trees was yet another element that allowed him to add a level of stylisation. The overall result is a highly decorative canvas of distinctive style.