Almond Blossoms

Vincent van Gogh painted Almond Blossoms in February 1890, shortly after the birth of his nephew and namesake. The gnarled branches of the almond tree, in full white blossom against a clear blue sky, were a subject van Gogh associated with awakening and renewal. Working from his room at the asylum in Saint-Rémy, he drew on the ornamental conventions of Japanese prints, which he had long admired. The painting became one of the most cherished works in the collection of the Van Gogh Museum.