Van Gogh’s Cypresses at The Met - A Must-See of this Summer in New York
When I found out that the Metropolitan Museum is holding Van Gogh’s Cypresses exhibition, I knew I was going to see it. Van Gogh is one of my favorite artists; he has fascinated me throughout the years, so I couldn’t miss it.
And finally, the day came! I saw Van Gogh’s Cypresses! The exhibition was amazing. A big room decorated with green right from the start made you feel like you were in one of Van Gogh’s paintings.
The exhibition was divided into three parts. The first part was of the most famous Cypresses paintings, one of which, of course, was Starry Night. It was impossible to get close to the painting. People were taking pictures, discussing the artwork, taking pictures again…
Starry Night, no doubt, is one of the gems of the exhibition, but, if you decide to see Van Gogh’s Cypresses, it’s good to keep in mind that Starry Night is owned by the Museum of Modern Art, and you will have a chance to see it even after exhibition is over, so pay attention to the other paintings as well!
For example, Wheat Field with Cypresses. As with any of Van Gogh’s paintings, this one has a very distinctive style with the whirls in the sky and bushes that make you almost feel the wind. The painting is very airy, and the colors of the sky, blue, lilac, and aquamarine make you feel like you are in a fairytale. You can’t keep your eyes away from the artwork.
Another painting, Landscape from Saint-Remy, gives you the feeling of peace. Looking at it, I could feel the smell of grass and rain in the air. With this painting, Van Gogh announced the series of his cypresses’ motives.
The second part of the exhibition focused on less famous Van Gogh’s works. They were his paintings of the cypresses and olive trees, as well as the sketches of his future paintings. That for me was a story of his love for the South of France, his way of expressing his feelings, experimenting with forms and colors.
Finally, the last part of the exhibition tells us the story of Paul Gauguin and the visit he paid to Van Gogh in October 1888. Van Gogh was decorating the room for his friend, and the paintings we see on the walls of The Met take us through Van Gogh’s first idea for the artworks to the final version he made before Gauguin’s arrival.
One more thing to check out is Van Gogh’s letter to his brother Theo. The letter has a sketch of one of his paintings that the artist drew to show the idea to his brother.
One downside, and an important thing to know about the exhibition, is that it is extremely crowded, and it might take you some time to get in. First, you have to sign up for the online queue, and then, when it’s your turn, you need to get into the actual line to the exhibition. If you have a chance to come in the morning, right when the museum opens, that would probably be the best time. You won’t have to wait in an online queue, and you will probably miss the “rush hour”.
The exhibition has Van Gogh’s works from all over the world, so don’t miss the opportunity to see these amazing paintings and fall in love with the artist.
Article and photos by Mary Zakharova