The Hill of Montmartre with Stone Quarry
Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), Paris, June-July 1886
oil on canvas,
56.3 cm x 62.6 cm
Credits (obliged to state): Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)
The Paris district of Montmartre is well known for the artists who live and work there. That was already true in Van Gogh's day. But the hill of Montmartre then had buildings only on one side. Here, Van Gogh painted the other side. You can see quarries and a view of the mills, which had already been absorbed into the built-up part of the district. In the foreground is a pile of wood; behind it are blocks of stone.
Van Gogh was not the only artist to paint this picturesque place. He hoped that if he depicted a familiar scene, his painting would sell well. Unfortunately, it did not work out that way.