The Hill of Montmartre

Van Gogh painted the hill of Montmartre in 1886 during his Paris years, when this neighborhood still retained semi-rural character on its upper slopes alongside the developing entertainment district below. The view captures the transitional landscape of Montmartre — building sites, market gardens, windmills, and the urban fabric expanding from the city below. Van Gogh was in the midst of transforming his palette under Parisian influence, and this canvas shows the lightening and chromatic expansion that contact with Impressionism produced. The Kröller-Müller Museum holds several of his Paris landscapes.

The palette is noticeably lighter than Van Gogh's Dutch period, reflecting his evolving contact with Impressionism. The brushwork is varied and experimental, as he tried new approaches. The composition captures the layered topography of Montmartre, with buildings and vegetation occupying distinct horizontal zones.