The artwork titled “The Olive Trees,” created by Vincent van Gogh in 1888 in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, France, is an ink sketch on paper belonging to the Post-Impressionism art movement. It serves as a sketch and study and is currently housed in the Musée des Beaux-Arts Tournai located in Tournai, Belgium.
The artwork captures a serene landscape of olive trees rendered in detailed and expressive ink lines. The scene depicts several olive trees, their characteristic twisted trunks and dense foliage conveyed through a series of intricate and deliberate strokes. The ground is littered with stones and sparse vegetation, with Van Gogh’s distinctive mark-making providing a sense of texture and depth to the scene. Areas of light and shadow are skillfully suggested, perhaps indicating the play of sunlight over the undulating landscape. The presence of distant birds adds a dynamic element to the tranquil setting, all rendered in a monochromatic palette that highlights the artist’s deft command of line and form.