Vincent's Trees

Van Gogh felt a profound empathy with nature, and considered the spiritual essence of trees to be comparable with that of human figures. Vincent's Trees traces Van Gogh as a painter of trees - from his home province of North Brabant in Holland, through Paris to Provence. Ralph Skea's elegant prose accompanies Van Gogh's vibrant works, which range from pencil and ink sketches to watercolours and oils. Stylistic experiments include Pointillism and compositions inspired by Japanese prints moving towards the expressive, painterly depictions of his later work. The book includes quotations from Van Gogh's letters, which convey the depth of his feeling for the landscape, and the force with which it affected him. Ralph Skea was formerly the Senior Lecturer in European Urban Conservation at the University of Dundee. He is the author of Vincent's Gardens, also published by Thames & Hudson.