54
The Olive Trees, 1889
Van Gogh made this drawing after the painting alongside (53) and chose to push its abstract, decorative qualities to even greater heights. The virtuosity of his cursive and calligraphic use of the quill and reed pen puts this work on a par with the Montmajour drawings of the previous summer. Theo van Gogh, however, was surprised at this direction in his brother's work and tried to discourage its further pursuit.
Pencil, quill and reed pen and brown ink on wove paper
Promised gift of Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder to the Museum of Modern Art, New York