Square Saint-Pierre, Paris

Van Gogh's 1887 painting of the Square Saint-Pierre in Paris captures one of the city's public spaces during his Parisian years, when he moved through the city with the attentive eyes of a newcomer discovering urban modernity. The Place Saint-Pierre at the foot of Montmartre was a busy, characterful square, and Van Gogh's treatment reflects his developing Impressionist approach to the observation of public space. Yale University Art Gallery's holding places this among the important American collections of Van Gogh's Paris period work.

The urban scene is rendered with Van Gogh's evolving Parisian palette — lighter and more chromatic than his Dutch period — capturing the specific quality of Paris street light. Figures, trees, and buildings are organized within the composition with the observational freshness of direct outdoor observation. Brushwork is varied and direct throughout.