Back Garden of Siens Mothers House, the Hague Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

The drawing presents a domestic scene, specifically a backyard enclosed by a structure that appears to be a greenhouse or cold frame. The composition is dominated by architectural elements and vegetation rendered in a monochromatic palette – a warm brown tone against a dark background.
Here we see a house facade occupying the left portion of the view. A large arched window punctuates the wall, its panes meticulously detailed with cross-hatching that suggests depth and texture. A balcony or small porch extends from beneath this window, adding another layer to the architectural complexity. The building’s surface is heavily textured, achieved through dense, parallel lines which create a sense of age and weathering.
In the foreground, a wooden structure – likely intended for cultivating plants – takes center stage. Its framework is constructed with evident precision, each beam and panel delineated with careful attention to line weight. Several potted plants are clustered near its base, adding touches of organic form amidst the geometric rigidity of the construction.
Beyond the greenhouse, the ground slopes upward towards a dense thicket of trees and foliage. The artist employed a looser, more gestural approach here, using short, broken lines to suggest the chaotic growth of nature. This contrasts sharply with the meticulous detail afforded to the house and the greenhouse. A sense of enclosure is palpable; the garden feels private and sheltered.
The limited color range contributes significantly to the drawing’s mood. The warm brown tones evoke a feeling of nostalgia or melancholy, while the darkness surrounding the scene creates an atmosphere of introspection. It suggests a quiet moment observed within a personal space – a place of refuge or contemplation.
Subtly, the juxtaposition of the man-made (the house and greenhouse) with the natural (the trees and plants) hints at themes of control versus freedom, order versus chaos. The careful construction of the garden seems to imply an attempt to impose structure on nature, yet the untamed growth beyond the fence suggests that such efforts are ultimately incomplete. The drawing’s intimacy invites a consideration of domesticity, memory, and the passage of time within a confined space.