splendor among storms

wheatfields under thunderclouds is among the last paintings that vincent van gogh created before his untimely death.

i love how this piece of art depicts splendor among storms. the deep navy is foreboding, but the crisp white of the uncoiling clouds is whimsically reassuring. the sky is turbulent, but the meadow is pregnant with verdant vegetation and even a tiny, redeeming cluster of red blooms. all the rich contrast is what makes the painting striking and gorgeous.

last week i jotted down a sentence that is printed on a wall at the van gogh museum in amsterdam: "even though his subjects are always simple, they convey just how deeply van gogh felt the essence of life, beauty and tragedy alike."

and i was inspired to simplify yet simultaneously feel deeper, and to relish the contrast in life as i did while admiring wheatfields under thunderclouds.