Vincent Van Gogh’s exquisite “Almond Blossom,” which he painted for his newborn nephew as a symbol of budding life, embraced one of his favorite subjects: flowering branches against a blue sky. Epitomizing the tormented artist, Van Gogh (1853 – 1890) was a post-Impressionist Master whose fragile psyche was uplifted by the healing effects of painting outdoors. Extraordinarily prolific, Van Gogh produced all of his works during a 10-year period—at one point, creating an astonishing 150 paintings and drawings within one year. Although Van Gogh only sold one painting within his lifetime, he profoundly influenced modern Expressionism, Fauvism and Early Abstraction.