Pollard Birches

Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), Nuenen, March 1884

pencil, pen and ink, watercolour, on paper, 39.5 cm x 54.2 cm

Credits (obliged to state): Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)

Van Gogh loved pollard trees with their gnarled trunks. They feature prominently in many of his paintings and drawings, including this one. In a letter to his brother Theo, he compared a row of pollard trees to a 'procession of orphan men'. What he meant was that nature had a soul of its own.

This work is part of a series of seven pen and ink drawings of Brabant landscapes from 1884. The compositions are compelling. The way he drew it, with a great deal of hatching, shows his individual style. The drawings form a high point of Van Gogh's work in the Netherlands.

F-number
F1240
JH-number
JH0469
Object number
d0364V1968
Dimensions
39.5 cm x 54.2 cm
Provenance
With his brother Theo van Gogh, Parijs, after March 1884; after his death on 25 January 1891, inherited by his widow, Jo van Gogh-Bonger, and their son, Vincent Willem van Gogh, Paris; probably given by Jo van Gogh-Bonger to her sister-in-law Anna van Houten-van Gogh, Dieren, after 1891; after her death on 20 September 1930 inherited by a family friend H.J. Calkoen, Velsen; sold by H.J. Calkoen to the Theo van Gogh Foundation, Laren, 1963; transferred to the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, Amsterdam, 1968; given on loan until the opening of the museum on 2 June 1973 to the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; on permanent loan to the Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh from 2 June 1973 and at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, since 1 July 1994.
artist
Vincent van Gogh
Credits (obliged to state)
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)

Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Ongekend. Verhalen rond 10 jaar aanwinsten, 5 February-12 September 2021

Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Munch : Van Gogh, 24 September 2015-17 January 2016

Oslo, Munch Museum, Van Gogh + Munch, 9 May-6 September 2015

Maastricht, MECC, Van Gogh's drawings. Masterpieces from the Van Gogh Museum, 15-24 March 2013

Vienna, Albertina, Vincent van Gogh. Gezeichnete Bilder, 4 September-7 December 2008, no. 20

New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. The Drawings, 12 October-31 December 2005, no. 19

Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Van Gogh tekenaar. De meesterwerken, 2 July-18 September 2005, no. 19

Tokyo, Seiji Togo Memorial Yasuda Kasai Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh drawing exhibition. Van Gogh and his time from the Van Gogh Museum and the H.W. Mesdag Museum, 14 September-13 November 2000, no. 12

Tokyo, Tobu Museum of Art, A Hawaii Treasury: masterpieces from the Honolulu Academy of Arts, 13 March-21 May 2000, no. 12

Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Vincent van Gogh tekeningen. Nuenen 1883-1885, 20 June-12 October 1997, no. zonder nr.

Otterlo, Kröller-Müller Museum, Vincent van Gogh. Tekeningen, 30 March-29 July 1990, no. 94

Den Bosch, Noordbrabants Museum, Van Gogh in Brabant. Schilderijen en tekeningen uit Etten en Nuenen, 2 November 1987-10 January 1988, no. 73

Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh, Vincent van Gogh in zijn Hollandse jaren. Kijk op stad en land door Van Gogh en zijn tijdgenoten 1870-1890, 13 December 1980-22 March 1981, no. 139

Oslo, Munch Museet, Vincent van Gogh, 5 April-15 June 1976, no. 23

Stockholm, Kulturhuset, Vincent van Gogh, 10 February-28 March 1976, no. 23

Malmö, Malmö Konsthall, Vincent van Gogh. 100 teckningar och akvareller. 100 drawings and water colours, 6 June-10 August 1975, no. 23

Florence, Palazzo Strozzi, Quarta biennale internazionale della grafica d'arte. La grafica dal realismo al simbolismo, 11 May-30 June 1974, no. 11

Bern, Kunstmuseum Bern, Vincent van Gogh. Collection du Musée National Vincent van Gogh à Amsterdam, 25 January-15 April 1973, no. 53

Strasbourg, Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain Strasbourg, Vincent van Gogh. Collection du Musée National Vincent van Gogh à Amsterdam, 22 October 1972-15 January 1973, no. 53

Paris, Orangerie des Tuileries, Vincent van Gogh. Collection du Musée National Vincent van Gogh à Amsterdam, 21 December 1971-10 April 1972, no. 129

New York, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 14 February-4 April 1971, no. 76

San Francisco, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 11 December 1970-31 January 1971, no. 76

Baltimore, Baltimore Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 11 October-29 November 1970, no. 76

Columbus (Ohio), Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 5 March-5 April 1970, no. 8

Saint Louis, City Art Museum of Saint Louis, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 20 December 1969-1 February 1970, no. 76

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 14 October-1 December 1969, no. 76

London, Hayward Gallery, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings of the Vincent van Gogh Foundation Amsterdam, 23 October 1968-12 January 1969, no. 23

Ottawa, National Gallery of Canada, Vincent van Gogh. Drawings, Watercolors, 14 March-15 April 1968, no. 20

Liege, Musée des Beaux-Arts (Liège), Vincent van Gogh. Dessins, aquarelles, 3 March-30 September 1968, no. 20

Toledo (Ohio), Toledo Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Drawings, Watercolors, 20 January-3 March 1968, no. 20

Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Philadelphia Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Drawings, Watercolors, 17 November-31 December 1967, no. 20

Dallas, Dallas Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Drawings, Watercolors, 6 October-4 November 1967, no. 20

Zurich, Kunsthaus Zürich, Vincent van Gogh. Dessins, aquarelles, 5 April-4 June 1967, no. 23

Lille, Palais des Beaux-Arts (Lille), Vincent van Gogh. Dessins, aquarelles, 14 January-13 March 1967, no. 23

Albi, Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent van Gogh. Dessinateur, 27 May-31 August 1966, no. 22

Paris, Institut Néerlandais, Vincent van Gogh. Dessinateur, 28 January-20 March 1966, no. 22

Nuenen, Gemeentehuis, Vincent van Gogh. Schilderijen, aquarellen, tekeningen, 8 August-31 May 1965, no. zonder nr.

Ghent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten (Gent), Vincent van Gogh. Schilderijen, aquarellen, tekeningen, 19 February-28 March 1965, no. 51

Charleroi, Palais des Beaux-Arts (Charleroi), Vincent van Gogh. Schilderijen, aquarellen, tekeningen, 9 January-9 February 1965, no. 51

New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 2 April-28 June 1964, no. 77

Washington, Washington Gallery of Modern Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 2 February-19 March 1964, no. 77

Humlebaek, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Vincent van Gogh. Malerier og tegninger, 24 October-15 December 1963, no. 77

Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, 150 jaar Nederlandse kunst. Schilderijen, beelden, tekeningen, grafiek 1813-1963, 6 July-29 September 1963, no. 95

Amsterdam, Rijksprentenkabinet Amsterdam, Van Hieronymus Bosch tot Vincent van Gogh. Vijf eeuwen tekenkunst, 23-21 May 1959, no. 145

Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, Dutch Drawings. Masterpieces of Five Centuries, 2-27 April 1959, no. 145

Washington, National Gallery of Art, Dutch Drawings. Masterpieces of Five Centuries, 5-26 October 1958, no. 145

New York, The Pierpont Morgan Library, Dutch Drawings. Masterpieces of Five Centuries, 1958-1959, no. 145

Boston, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Dutch Drawings. Masterpieces of Five Centuries, 1958-1959, no. 145

Cleveland, Cleveland Museum of Art, Dutch Drawings. Masterpieces of Five Centuries, 1958-1959, no. 145

Minneapolis, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Dutch Drawings. Masterpieces of Five Centuries, 1958-1959, no. 145

Leiden, Museum De Lakenhal, Teekeningen van Vincent van Gogh, 25 April-1 May 1893

Standring, Timothy, Tilborgh, Louis van, Kelly, Simon, Kendall, Richard, Meedendorp, Teio, Coon, A.R., Becoming van Gogh, 2012, p. 50

Darley, Esther, Suijver, Renske, Masterpieces in the Van Gogh Museum, 2019, p. 41

Darley, Esther, Suijver, Renske, Meesterwerken in het Van Gogh Museum, 2019, p. 41

Dijk, Maite van, Bruteig, Magne, Jansen, Leo, Heller, Reinhold, Lloyd, Jill, Schneede, Uwe M., Munch : Van Gogh, 2015, p. 180-181

Uitert, Evert van, Hoyle, Michael, Crimpen, Han van, The Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh, 1987, p. 404

Jooren, Marieke, Van Gogh's drawings : masterpieces from the Van Gogh Museum, p. 28-29

Schröder, Klaus Albrecht, Widauer, Heinz, Heugten, Sjraar van, Vellekoop, Marije, Leeman, Fred, Bailey, Martin, Van Gogh : gezeichnete Bilder, 2008, p. 158-161

Schröder, Klaus Albrecht, Widauer, Heinz, Heugten, Sjraar van, Vellekoop, Marije, Leeman, Fred, Bailey, Martin, Meedendorp, Teio, Van Gogh : heartfelt lines, 2008, p. 158-161

Kendall, Richard, Heugten, Sjraar van, Stolwijk, Chris, Van Gogh and nature, 2015, p. 52-53

Uitert, Evert van, Van Gogh in Brabant : schilderijen en tekeningen uit Etten en Nuenen, cop. 1987, p. 204

Heugten, Sjraar van, Vellekoop, Marije, Zwikker, Roelie, Van Gogh tekenaar : de meesterwerken, 2016, p. 57, 61, 186

Chatelet, A., Gogh, Vincent Willem van, Vincent van Gogh : dessins - aquarelles, [unpaged]

Pey, E.B.F., Pickvance, Ronald, Wolk, J. van der, Vincent van Gogh : tekeningen, 1990, p. 151

Heugten, Sjraar van, Vincent van Gogh drawings : volume 2 : Nuenen 1883-1885 : Van Gogh Museum, 1997, p. 87-89

Heugten, Sjraar van, Vincent van Gogh tekeningen : Nuenen 1883-1885 : Van Gogh Museum : 2, 1997, p. 87-89

Naifeh, Steven, Van Gogh and the artists he loved, 2021, p. 351, 355, 359

Search in the collection