Bridge in the rain

1887 Find this painting on the map

When Van Gogh painted this painting, the distant east was taking over Europe. Influences of the distant east, in particular from Japan were a new rage in Europe. The bridge in the rain is one of the paintings that shows Van Gogh’s interests for Japan. He painted this scene after a woodcut by Utagawa Hiroshige, which he had in his own collection. Van Gogh even quotes in one of his letters to his brother “Japonaiserie for ever”. Van Gogh’s decision to leave Paris and head for the south, towards Arles, was fed by his desire to look for his own Japan.

Current Location: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands