Woman Sitting in the Grass

Van Gogh's 1887 study of a woman sitting in the grass belongs to his Paris period explorations of figure in landscape, combining the Impressionist attention to outdoor light with his interest in the specific postures of people at rest in natural settings. The seated figure in grass gave him the challenge of rendering a human presence within an environment of loose, varied plant material — both the figure and the surroundings requiring distinct but harmonious treatment. The work is currently unlocated or in private hands.

The seated figure is integrated with the surrounding grass through the Impressionist's unified attention to light across all surfaces. Van Gogh's Paris palette renders the greens of the grass with varied, broken strokes while the figure receives more careful modeling. The outdoor setting requires his full evolving chromatic range.