Soon after arriving in Paris, Van Gogh senses how outmoded his dark-hued palette has become. His Paris work is an effort to assimilate the influences around him. As he begins to formulate his own artistic idiom, he progresses through the styles and subjects of the Impressionists. His palette becomes brighter, his brushwork more broken.

Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism. Full article on Wikipedia.

When Vincent and Theo lived in Paris, Montmartre was still semi-rural. There was farmland and allotment gardens; three of the celebrated windmills were still standing.

A selection of Van Gogh's Dutch works on the Van Gogh Museum's website.

In a letter, Vincent wrote to his brother Theo about this painting: "I’m well aware that these big, long canvases are hard to sell, but in time people will see that there’s open air and good cheer in them."

This summery garden – which Van Gogh later referred to as ‘the painting of the garden with the sweethearts’ – is one of the largest canvases he painted.