 Van Gogh painted nature , the major subject for his works in the last 29 months of his life , to bring relief from his illnesses and emotional distress . Prior to this period he had rejected what he perceived as the narrow religion of his parents , and took an almost nihilistic stance , not unlike Nietzsche 's , toward religion and God . It was among the blossoming trees , the olive orchards and fields that Van Gogh most often found " profound meaning " , because he saw in their cycles an analogy to human life . He wrote to Theo that death , happiness and unhappiness are " necessary and useful " and relative , declaring " Even faced with an illness that breaks me up and frightens me , that belief is unshaken . " 
