Vincent van Goghs: The Mulberry Tree Van Gogh painted The
Mulberry Tree in October of 1889 less than a year before he
would die. Like most of his art, it was done during a period of
highs and lows painted during a time of great self-awareness and
yet surrounded by chaos. Following a fight with his fellow
artist Gauguin, during which the famous ear incident occurred,
Van Gogh went to stay at the Saint Paul Asylum in Saint-Remy. He
was there for about a year, from May 1889 to May 1890. After the
incident in Arles, his mental state declined. He became paranoid
thinking people were trying to poison him. While at Saint-Remy
he wrote to his brother Theo about his state of mind, his new
works, and the people around him. In the letters he acknowledges
that he has been in a bad place mentally, but that he feels he
is getting better. Seeing all the other patients with similar
issues made him feel like he was not alone. The constant in Van
Gogh’s life was painting, and he continued it during his stay at
the asylum. He p