Art Critique: Vincent van Gogh: Wheatfield with Crows

Vincent van Gogh: Wheatfield with Crows

So many interpretations are available out there, in books and on the web — and mine will be just another one. If you Google “Van Gogh” and you will find plenty of information, including articles. Here’s a link to Britannica article on Vincent van Gogh.

Wheatfield with Crows, c.1890

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I’d like to discuss some of my thoughts on this painting, which hangs in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam — and which I had the pleasure of seeing while visiting this great European city

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I tried to find a new angle when looking at the crows, and kept asking myself simple questions: Why are the birds there? What are they doing above the wheat field (besides flying)? Why are they so many? Here are a few things I have come up with.

First, it may be that the artist himself scared the crows, which might have been feeding on the crops. Of course, it is difficult to learn (and probably impossible. And it’s more interesting that way) whether this scene is indeed a reflection of what was, or more of an artificial construct, with the crows, the most literally portable/movable element, added later. But, if it was the painter who scared the crows, then he is the scarecrow, a comparison which brings along many sarcastic and ironic meanings, that somehow connect with the man’s life story.

Second, the are quite a few birds there, which may appear odd — I always thought of crows as rather solitary creatures. Perhaps there were just a few, and the artist multiplied them into a flock. Here’s an idea: when we hear one or two crows croaking, we can tell that they are few but, when there are three or four , or more, it becomes impossible to discern the voices and make out the number. So, five crows will sound just the same as a twenty birds strong flock would.

I think it could be interesting to translate that vocal phenomenon to painting. If seeing can be interchanged with hearing, then seeing five birds would render the same effect as seeing twenty. Hence, it is possible to assume that the number of birds on this painting is more of a guide than even a more or less accurate rendering.

The three paths have also spawned interpretations and theories. Here is mine: they actually form a bird! The middle path shapes the head and the body, the other two are the wings. I will not even try to point out the allegorical implications, because they can be infinite. But I do find that enlarged reflection quite fascinating, regardless of whether it was intentional or not: it’s just there.

Wheatfields with Crows

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Besides that, the paths divide the painting into harmonious segments, a two (field patches) by three (paths) rhythm — tight and solid. This division, two thirds, appears again in color distribution: the ominous blue fills one third of the canvas, the warm yellow and green two thirds. This recurrence contributes to harmony, and unity.

That is what I find particularly fascinating about this piece: despite strong color contrasts, it instills a sense of harmony and inner calm. If I were to guess on what was the emotional state of the artist while working on this canvas, I would mention self-acceptance and resignation besides emotional torment and turmoil, with the former sentiments, however, taking the upper hand. Ultimately, this is a bright painting, with compositional and rhythmic effects contributing to this general impression no less than light and color itself.

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Vincent van Gogh: Wheatfield with Crows

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