5
Entrance to the Public Garden in Arles, 1888
The gardens in Arles inspired contrasting moods. Van Gogh depicted this view of the park as an everyday scene. He described the locals as ‘something out of Daumier come to life’, a reference to the French artist famous for his caricatures. There is a comical edge to figures such as the man in worker's blue transfixed by his newspaper—possibly Van Gogh himself—and the squat woman labouring up the path.
Oil on canvas
The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC. Acquired 1930