Girl in White by Vincent van Gogh Notebook

Girl in White was painted by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh in 1890. He painted this the same year as his death in Auvers, France, just outside of Paris. He wrote to a friend, "I am trying to do some studies of wheat . . . . nothing but ears of wheat with green-blue stalks, long leaves like ribbons of green shot with pink, ears that are just turning yellow, edged with the pale pink of the dusty bloom—a pink bindweed at the bottom twisted round a stem. Over that, against a vivid yet tranquil background, I should like to paint some portraits." The painting is dominated by the colour white, to create a sense of purity, innocence, youth and vulnerability. The girl's dress is a bright white, and the background is a pale yellow that is accented with green leaves. The girl's expression is one of sadness and introspection. She is looking down at the ground, and her eyes are filled with sadness, melancholy and longing, which is in contrast to the bright colours of the painting.