Olive Trees With Yellow Sky and Sun: A Formal Analysis

Description

The first thing that can be noticed about Van Gogh's 1889 painting is that it appears to be divided into two distinct parts: above and below. Above is the bright, yellow sun, taking up the entire space of the sky with its warm blaze. Lighted and fed by this blaze are the olive trees below. The dark green of their leaves, together with the browns of their branches and the ground in which the trees grow form the striking contrast of the more somber "below." In the background are distant blue mountains. These are noticed only after the contrast between the sun and the trees catch the viewer's eye. The mountains are also the only part of the painting not enveloped in blazing color. The softer tones of blue then served two purposes: to form another contrast with the...
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