First Steps, after Millet
1890
Van Gogh created this tender family scene in 1890 while at the Saint-Rémy asylum, reimagining a drawing by his hero Jean-François Millet. He transformed a simple moment of a toddler taking their first steps into a vibrant explosion of swirling greens and blues, with a father reaching out and a mother waiting with open arms. The thick, rhythmic brushstrokes make the garden feel alive, showing how Vincent could take a traditional rural subject and inject it with his own unique, emotional energy. It hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art today.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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