The pink peach tree

He was hopeful that the paintings would sell well, since he believed that the subjects had the power to ‘cheer everyone up.’ When he saw the works he was pleased with together, he wanted to combine them as decorative triptychs. Van Gogh was familiar with triptychs, in which three works form a single harmonious entity, from Japanese graphic art. Van Gogh dedicated the first painting to Anton Mauve after he saw his death notice. Mauve was a well-known artist, who taught Van Gogh the basics of painting in watercolour and oils.