 The olive tree paintings had special significance for Van Gogh . A group in May 1889 represented life , the divine and the cycle of life while those from November 1889 arose out of Van Gogh 's attempt to symbolize his feelings about Christ in Gethsemane . His paintings of olive pickers demonstrate the relationship between man and nature by depicting one of the cycles of life , harvesting or death . It is also an example of how individuals , through interaction with nature , can connect with the divine . 
