Almond branches covered in white blossoms and pink buds, spreading across a turquoise blue sky

Almond Blossoms

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What you see

There is no ground and no horizon, only branches crossing a blue sky, seen from below and very close. From the bottom, a pair of thick, twisting limbs spread out and split into ever finer twigs that reach every edge. Open white flowers and buds about to burst are scattered along them. The eye follows the branches upward.

The background is a soft, even turquoise, with visible but calm strokes. The branches carry dark outlines and tones of green and ochre, while the flowers blend white, cream and the faintest pink. The effect is clean and decorative, almost like wallpaper. Seek out the reddish buds at the tips and the single brighter blossom just below and left of center.

About Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh began painting at 27 and in just ten years created about 900 paintings full of colour and swirling brushstrokes. He wrote hundreds of letters to his brother Theo, who always supported him. Hardly anyone bought his work while he lived; today his paintings are among the most loved in the world.

All 12 works by Vincent van Gogh