[1][2] Van Gogh moved from the Netherlands to Paris in February 1886 to live with his brother, Theo, who was an art dealer.

The paintings are among the first works where he used loose brushwork and the bright, contrasting colors of blues, greens, reds, and yellows.

[7] Van Gogh created the Views of Paris after a series of related paintings from similar vantage points.

[8] While working on his initial drawing, Van Gogh realized that using a horizontal orientation would not achieve the composition he was envisioning.

His work shifted from the dark, somber hues of his earlier realist paintings to more colorful and textured art.

[14] He was especially inspired by other young artists like Camille Pissarro, Paul Gauguin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec as well as the art critic Charles Blanc, all of whom pushed him to use color for its luminous and emotional effect.