Arles · March-April 1888 · Painting before the petals fall
The Orchardin bloom
In the first Provençal spring, Van Gogh transformed the orchards of Arles into an open-air laboratory. White trees, pink peach trees, black branches and turquoise skies become a fast, decorative and deeply modern series.
What do we call "The Orchard in Flowers" at Van Gogh?
The title designates both a specific canvas - that of the Metropolitan Museum of Art - and a family of landscapes painted around Arles in the spring of 1888. Van Gogh arrived in the city on February 20. Snow still covers the surrounding area; a few weeks later, the fruit trees are flowering almost simultaneously. He immediately understands that the pattern will be spectacular but very short.
The Kroeller-Müller Museum lists fourteen paintings and several drawings or sketches made in a tight time. The figure may vary slightly depending on how the catalogs delimit the countryside, but the idea does not change: Vincent works in series. He returns to several orchards, changes angle, format and species - plum trees, apricot trees, pear trees, peach trees - then compares the effects of white, pink, green and blue.
These works are not botanical surveys. Titles have sometimes been assigned or translated after the fact, and species identification may remain cautious. The real subject is the relationship between a network of branches, an almost immaterial flowering and the flat space of the canvas. Van Gogh wants spring to be visible as a surge of energy.
The series is born from a very concrete urgency: the flowers fall, the rain interrupts the work and each day lost changes the landscape.From Vincent's letters to Theo, April 1888
Five decisive weeks
Spring advances faster than the painter
The letters allow you to follow a campaign conducted almost day by day. Van Gogh searches for trees in flower, orders canvases and works despite the wind and changes in weather.
Arrival in Arles
Vincent discovers a landscape that is still wintery. He hopes to find clearer light and more bold colors in the South.
The Pink Peach Tree
He paints the picture that will become Memory of Mauve, then learns of the death of his former master Anton Mauve.
Intensive work
Orchards become his main subject. It evokes peach, apricot and plum trees, as well as the difficulty of obtaining enough canvas.
Think in triptych
A sketch of a letter orders three orchards - pink, white and a small pear tree - as a decorative set.
End of flowering
The leaves win, the petals fall. Van Gogh continues with drawings and landscapes, but the spring campaign is over.
The heart of the series
Ten paintings to see the pattern transform
No single canvas sums up the countryside. Some immerse the viewer under the branches; others open the orchard to the crops and silhouettes of Arles. Vertical formats isolate the tree, horizontals stretch the landscape.
The Orchard in bloom
A vertical trunk closes the foreground while a small silhouette animates the path. The tree becomes an architecture as much as a natural subject.
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The Pink Orchard
The blue-green sky, purple ground and pale pink apricot trees organize one of the most delicate harmonies in the series.
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The White Orchard
The gaze rises into a tangle of long dark branches. The white flowers seem to float between the tree and the sky.
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Pink peach, "Memory of Mauve"
A painting that is both tender and joyful, dedicated to Anton Mauve. The verticality of the tree and the enclosed garden give it the gravity of a portrait.
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Apricot trees in bloom
The bleached branches stand out from the sky and cut an orderly countryside into horizontal bands of crops.
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Another apricot tree
The repetition of the name does not hide a radical variation: more isolated tree, narrower format, compressed depth and more graphic branches.
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Small pear tree in bloom
A young slender tree stands out on almost abstract terrain. Its small size offers the central counterpoint to the triptych project.
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Orchard lined with cypresses
Dark cypresses close the horizon and reinforce the lightness of fruit trees. The orchard becomes an open-air green room.
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Peach trees in bloom
The tree line becomes a rhythm. The pink masses repeat like notes above the green and ocher fields.
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Orchards in bloom, view of Arles
The city appears in successive plans. The floral motif is no longer isolated: it connects agricultural work, the countryside and the urban horizon.
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Main work analysis
A landscape constructed like a crossing
Van Gogh places a large trunk a few steps from the viewer. This choice might seem awkward from an academic perspective: the tree cuts off the view, hides part of the terrain and prevents us from embracing the landscape with a single glance. This is precisely what makes the composition come alive.
The threshold
The trunk in the foreground acts as a door jamb. The viewer does not observe the orchard from afar; it is already inside.
Oblique depth
The path and tree alignments lead to the bottom without employing rigid perspective. Space advances by overlaps.
The human figure
The small dark silhouette gives the scale. It does not tell a precise scene; it measures the height of trees and distance.
The sky visible between the branches
Blue is not a uniform background. It circulates in the voids and transforms the network of branches into colored lace.
The fragmented soil
The pink, green and brown touches do not imitate every herb. They reflect a surface crossed by young shoots and light.
A decorative image
Branches, trunks and bands of color structure the entire surface. The landscape remains readable but also functions as a large pattern.
Take a closer look
Six details that explain the modernity of the canvas
The picture changes depending on the distance. From a distance, we see an orchard. Up close, the subject dissolves into rapid signs: dashes, commas, flat areas, interrupted contours and clear reserves.
Flowers without counted petals
A clear point is often enough. Repetition creates the impression of flowering without going through careful botanical description.
The trunk as a column
Its dark contours and thickness stabilize an otherwise very light composition. It carries the image like a frame.
Blue becomes a form
Between the branches, each fragment of sky is a small autonomous surface. The void counts as much as the branches.
A mosaic floor
Soft green, ocher, pink and gray are juxtaposed. This division animates the earth without enclosing it in a contour.
A tiny silhouette
A few dark touches are enough to produce a presence. Van Gogh uses the body as measurement and punctuation.
The branch as calligraphy
The line follows the growth of the tree. He does not complete a preliminary drawing: he keeps the speed of the gesture which posed it.
Pink, white, blue, green
Color does not copy spring: it organizes it
Complementary contrasts give flowers an intensity that pure white wouldn't have. Pink dialogues with green; yellow warms blue; dark branches prevent pale tones from dissolving.
| Element | Dominant colors | Pictorial function | Product effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Pinkish white, cream, pale pink | Create a discontinuous vibration | Fragility, air, light |
| Branches | Brown, bluish black, dark green | Write the skeleton of the tree | Graphic energy |
| Sky | Turquoise, blue gray, light blue | Bring out the flowering | Freshness and depth |
| Sol | Ocher, green, pink, mauve | Connecting trees and crops | Heat, mosaic, rhythm |
| Cypress | Deep green | Close or frame horizon | Contrast with flowers |
A decisive influence
Why do these orchards look Japanese?
Van Gogh collected Japanese prints in Paris and studied them as pictorial solutions. In Arles, he does not copy a specific print: he transposes a way of framing, flattening the space and giving the branches an autonomous role.
High horizon, superimposed colorful planes, cut branches and reduced details: space is designed for the surface as much as for the illusion of depth.
In Paris, Van Gogh had copied a print by Utagawa Hiroshige. The tree in the foreground, the diagonals and the non-naturalistic colors directly prepare the orchards of Arles.
Letters as a logbook
What Vincent writes during flowering
The sentences below are translated and slightly abbreviated to be read in context. Full letters, manuscripts and scientific notes are available on the Vincent van Gogh - The Letters website.
I just got a painting that I brought back today: an orchard.
Van Gogh talks about the pink peach tree and learns of the death of Anton Mauve. He decides to write the dedication "Souvenir de Mauve" on the canvas.
The flowering orchard season is so short.
The urgency is both aesthetic and material. Vincent wants to paint quickly, buy canvases and colors, then send his studies to Theo.
I still work hard, still in the flowering orchards.
He mentions a new orchard of very pale pink apricot trees and yellow-white plum trees crossed by thousands of black branches.
I'm working on the flowering trees.
Bad weather upsets him. The letter shows that the whole depends on changing conditions and a very narrow seasonal window.
Pale pink orchard, white orchard, small pear tree in bloom.
A joint sketch orders three works. The painter no longer thinks only in separate paintings, but in panels capable of dialogue.
Something tender and very cheerful.
Coming back to Memory of Mauve, Van Gogh explains that the memory of the deceased painter called for a light color, not a dark study.
The decorative project
Three orchards united like a complete spring
In letter 597, Van Gogh draws a set of three paintings. Researchers associate the left panel with Pink orchard, the right panel at White orchard and the small central format Pear tree in bloom.
A large pink and blue horizontal opens the whole thing.
The small vertical produces breathing between the two orchards.
Dark branches and light flowers close the accord.
The triptych explains why the formats differ: the small central canvas is not a minor study, but a visual pause between two large landscapes.
The actual location
What remains of the painted orchards around Arles?
The tables do not describe a single property that is easy to identify. Van Gogh roamed cultivated land south and east of Arles. Urbanization, agricultural changes and the absence of precise landmarks make exact locations uncertain.
This photograph is not Van Gogh's exact site. It helps to understand the density of the branches, the discontinuous light and the brevity of the show.
The enlarged views show Arles behind the trees and fields. They remind us that the painter worked in an agricultural area immediately neighboring the city.
To visit Arles today, it is better to follow a pattern route rather than looking for a specific tree: the Alyscamps, the Rhône, the Place du Forum, the location of the Yellow House, the Langlois bridge and the landscapes of the Crau reconstruct the visual territory of 1888. La Vincent van Gogh Arles Foundation then allows us to place this geography in the history of modern art.
See the originals
Where are flowering orchards kept?
The series is scattered. The hangings change and some paintings remain in private collections: always consult the museum website before traveling.
Van Gogh Museum · Amsterdam
The Pink Orchard, The White Orchard, the Little pear tree in bloom and drawings make it easier to understand the whole thing than in any other collection.
View the collection →Kroeller-Müller · Otterlo
Pink Peach ("Memory of Mauve") is one of the major pieces of the museum. Its verticality and dedication distinguish it within the series.
See the instructions →Metropolitan Museum · New York
The Flowering Orchard, the main work of this article, is kept at the Met under number 56.13 and distributed in open image CC0.
See the instructions →National Galleries · Edinburgh
The museum presents Orchard with Apricot Trees in Blossom, Arles, a horizontal canvas where flowers stand out against a clear blue sky.
See the instructions →Yale University Art Gallery
A flowered orchard surrounded by cypresses, F 554 /JH 1388, belongs to the Yale collection and shows the role of dark greenery screens.
Explore Yale →Private collections
Several orchards, peach and apricot trees are not permanently visible. Catalogs raisonnés and Van Gogh Worldwide remain essential for comparing them.
Van Gogh Worldwide →The work of this article
The Orchard in bloom, hand painted
The vertical format puts the tree in the foreground and gives the painting an almost architectural presence. In an interior, its pinks, greens and blues create a bright focal point without the more radical chromatic power of Sunflowers.
An off-white, sage green or blue-gray wall extends the palette well. Choose a light wood frame, walnut or a dark American box; the image needs air around its branches.
Choose the reproduction format
The Orchard in bloom
View product →The Pink Orchard
See the work →The White Orchard
See the work →Memory of Mauve
See the work →Little pear tree in bloom
See the work →Apricot trees in bloom
See the work →Orchard lined with cypresses
See the work →Peach trees in bloom
See the work →View of Arles
See the work →Store collections
Extending Van Gogh's Spring
These collections connect the series to its places, patterns and influences. They allow us to compare orchards to bouquets, Arles landscapes and Japanese compositions.
Vincent van Gogh
Portraits, flowers, landscapes and nights.
The South in 1888 -1889Van Gogh in Arles
The Yellow House, the Crau, the Rhône and the orchards.
Plant motifsVan Gogh Flowers
Orchards, bouquets, sunflowers, irises and roses.
Another floral journeyFlower paintings
From the first bouquets to late blooms.
TerritoriesLandscapes of Van Gogh
Fields, villages, gardens and hills.
A flowering that has become an iconAlmond trees in bloom
The motif taken up in Saint-Rémy in 1890.
InfluenceJaponism
Frames, flat areas and lines from the prints.
MovementPost-impressionism
Color freed from simple imitation.
CompareImpressionist landscapes
Light, seasons and outdoor painting.
For the interiorDecorative paintings
Compositions designed to live on a wall.
PaletteBlue paintings
Cool skies, waters and harmonies.
MasterpiecesFamous paintings
Major images in art history.
Continue reading
Arles, flowers, letters and landscapes
The orchards take on their full meaning when we place them in Van Gogh's Provençal project, his exchanges with Theo and his study of the seasons.
Frequently asked questions
Understand everything about Van Gogh's flowering orchards
How many paintings does the series of flowering orchards have?
The Kroeller-Müller Museum indicates that in the spring of 1888 Van Gogh produced fourteen paintings and several drawings or sketches of fruit trees in flower. Some sources give a more cautious number depending on the delimitation chosen.
When did Van Gogh paint The Orchard in Bloom?
The main campaign took place in Arles from late March to late April 1888, during its first Provençal spring.
Is the Orchard in Flowers a single painting?
The title can designate a specific work from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but it is also used to talk about all the orchards, peach trees, plum trees, pear trees and apricot trees painted at the same time.
Where is The Orchard in Flowers featured in this article?
The vertical canvas reproduced in the hero is kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, under inventory number 56.13.
Why did Van Gogh paint so many orchards in such a short time?
Because flowering is short and sensitive to wind and rain. He works quickly to study several species, formats and harmonies before the petals fall.
What is Mauve Souvenir?
This is the title inscribed on a pink peach tree painted around March 30, 1888. Learning of the death of Anton Mauve, his former master, Van Gogh decided to dedicate to him a work that he wanted to be tender and joyful.
Which paintings formed the triptych of orchards?
A sketch of letter 597 generally combines Le Verger rose on the left, Le Petit Poirier in bloom in the center and Le Verger blanc on the right.
Are all trees identified with certainty?
No. Titles, translations and species identifications have sometimes varied. Catalogs are based on letters, old inventories and visual study of trees.
How influential is Japan in the series?
It appears in the cut frames, the high horizons, the flat areas of color, the expressive line of the branches and the decorative panel project.
Did Van Gogh paint the orchards on site?
The letters and the very direct nature of the studies indicate outdoor work, often repeated or completed. He could also produce drawings based on his paintings and then organize the paintings into sets.
Can we visit the exact location of the orchards in Arles?
Not with certainty. The plots have changed and the letters do not always give a precise location. However, a tour of the van Goghian sites of Arles allows you to understand the territory of the countryside.
Which reproduction to choose for an interior?
The Flowering Orchard and Souvenir de Mauve are well suited to a vertical wall; The Pink Orchard or The White Orchard occupy more of the horizontal space. For a soft palette, favor pink and blue; for more contrast, choose an orchard lined with cypresses.
Verified sources
Letters, museums and catalogs
Dates, dimensions, catalog numbers and citations were checked based on institutional records and scientific editing of correspondence.
Pink Peach Trees
Fourteen paintings, dedication to Anton Mauve and context of March 30, 1888.
Van Gogh MuseumThe White Orchard
Composition, plum branches and feeling of being placed under trees.
Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe Flowering Orchard
Notice, origin, dimensions, numbers F 552 and JH 1381.
National Galleries of ScotlandOrchard with Apricot Trees
First spring in Arles, blue sky and pink-white flowers.
Letter 592Memory of Mauve
Vincent learns of Anton Mauve's death and explains his dedication.
Letter 593A very short season
The pace of work, the canvas needs and the value of flowery subjects.
Letter 594Always the orchards
Pale pink apricot trees, yellow-white plum trees and black branches.
Letter 597The triptych project
Sketch and organization of the pink orchard, the pear tree and the white orchard.
Van Gogh WorldwideInternational corpus
Works, F/JH issues, collections, provenance and bibliography.
Visual credits: works by Vincent van Gogh in the public domain; open files from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Wikimedia Commons; images of reproductions from the Alpha Reproduction media library. Contemporary photographs are explicitly distinguished from historic places.
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