Trees as van Gogh saw them

It graces one of the most famous paintings in art history, and yet it has been ignored: In Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night of 1889, the silhouette of a cypress tree contrasts with the world-famous depiction of the night sky. Van Gogh likened the trees to dark flames. They represent the south of France, where Van Gogh went in hopes of a better future. In Arles, then a small village, his dreams did not come true. It is also the place where he mutilated himself. The cypress represents the antithesis of heaven, which for the artist symbolized the longing for religious experience − and probably also for security. In Van Gogh's Cypresses, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is exhibiting some 40 of Van Gogh's paintings, focusing on his depictions of cypresses and other trees. Visitors to the exhibition, which runs from May 22 to August 27, can look forward to new art historical insights into the genesis of van Gogh's works.

Vincent van Gogh (1853 − 1890) was a pre-modern Dutch artist. He is considered an artistic inspiration for many renowned artists of the early 20th century and one of the most famous painters of all time. He died completely impoverished, but his artistic vision and power made his paintings sought-after collector's items. Several of his works have fetched tens of millions of dollars at auction. Three of his works were considered the most expensive paintings of all time at the time of their auction.