VINCENT VAN GOGH: THE MULBERRY TREE Editorial Image

Van Gogh painted The Mulberry Tree in October of 1889 less than a year before he would die. Like most of his art, it was done during a period of highs and lows painted during a time of great self-awareness and yet surrounded by chaos.Following a fight with his fellow artist Gauguin, during which the famous ear incident occurred, Van Gogh went to stay at the Saint Paul Asylum in Saint-Remy. He was there for about a year, from May 1889 to May 1890. After the incident in Arles, his mental state declined. He became paranoid thinking people were trying to poison him. While at Saint-Remy he wrote to his brother Theo about his state of mind, his new works, and the people around him. In the letters he acknowledges that he has been in a bad place mentally, but that he feels he is getting better. Seeing all the other patients with similar issues made him feel like he was not alone