On April 20th 1888, Vincent uses pruned reeds for the first time, “ pruned as a goose feather would be…I want to make a series like that, and I hope to do better than the first two. It’s a process I used to seek when I was in Holland, but I didn’t have such nice reeds”. (Letter to Theo, April 20th 1888)
From this date on, he will use these pruned reeds in all his drawings, as they help him to “deepen” his sheets, to spread the ink better and get vibrating and twistering effects which will forecast his tormented skies, his nights studded with stars in Arles and Saint Rémy.