Painted in late June 1889, shortly after Vincent van Gogh entered the asylum at Saint-Rémy, Cypresses reflects the artist’s fascination with the monumental trees he likened to Egyptian obelisks. One of two vertical close-up views of these towering forms, the painting was exhibited at the 1890 Salon des Indépendants and exemplifies Van Gogh’s pursuit of expressive contrast within a sunlit landscape.