Description
Street in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer by Vincent van Gogh shows a lane receding between a large thatched roof and wall on the left and trees on the right. Made around July 15, 1888, the drawing turns the town’s surfaces into a dense pattern of marks. Reed pen, quill and brown ink over black chalk give roofs, foliage and foreground several different rhythms, while the narrowing street leads the eye into the setting.
Pen drawing allows the artist to vary a line’s direction and density while retaining the pale paper between marks. The street can therefore be experienced as both a recognizable setting and an active pattern of strokes. Van Gogh’s attention makes ordinary architecture worth sustained examination, with each surface contributing to the larger scene. The drawing offers a close encounter with the visual rhythm of a town, where the built environment becomes a field of observation.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Vincent van Gogh collection.
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