Autumn

Jules Dupré (1811 - 1889), c. 1865

oil on canvas, 106.5 cm x 93.5 cm
The Mesdag Collection, The Hague

Jules Dupré specialized in views of forests in stormy weather. He painted this landscape in the woods near Compiègne, north of Paris. The tiny figure of the woodcutter is almost imperceptible amid the towering trees. In this work Dupré wanted to convey man’s insignificance in relation to nature.

Vincent van Gogh saw this painting at an exhibition in The Hague in 1882. It made a deep impression on him, and he later wrote to his brother: ‘It expresses that moment and that place in nature where one can go alone, without company.’