The hill of Montmartre with stone quarry

The Hill of Montmartre with Stone Quarry, painted in 1886 shortly after Vincent van Gogh moved to Paris, captures a raw and transitional view of Montmartre before it was fully absorbed into the growing city. The scene features a quiet hillside scattered with stone quarries and rustic buildings, evoking the rural character that still lingered on the edges of Paris at the time.

Rendered in earthy tones and soft light, the painting reflects Van Gogh’s early exploration of naturalistic landscapes, influenced by the muted palette of his Dutch period. It marks a turning point in his artistic journey, just before his style began to shift under the influence of Impressionism. The Hill of Montmartre with Stone Quarry offers a rare glimpse into a vanishing landscape and an artist on the verge of transformation.