Van Gogh's View of Auvers Sur Oise

View of Auvers-sur-Oise, 1890

Like the bell tower and clustered rooftops, the sweeping grain fields around Auvers-sur-Oise were recurrent motifs in the late landscapes of Vincent van Gogh. Areas of bare, darkened canvas are visible in this small painting, which he may have executed directly on the site. He marks the wheat with irregular patterns of brushstrokes, roughly manipulating the pigment to match his perception of the dry, golden stalks. Looking up at the church quarter, he bathes the stone houses in blue light, outlining them to emphasize their solidity. Above the curved horizon, aggressive curls of dark green foliage animate the townscape, reaching up toward muscular clouds that tumble across a pale green sky.

Our puzzle design draws on the artist’s oeuvre for much of its imagery. Central to the design is a rendering of one of Van Gogh’s self portraits. Also featured here is the artist painting one of his most famous works Starry Night, his brother Theo penning a letter to Vincent, irises, sunflowers, a cow and a sower. Many of the whimseys here are drafted in Van Gogh’s expressive style. 

Courtesy of the RISD Museum, Providence, RI.