Vincent van Gogh

This collection features Van Gogh's iconic sunflower paintings, created in two series. The first, painted in Paris in 1887, shows flowers on the ground, while the second, from Arles in 1888, depicts bouquets in a vase. The sunflowers symbolized gratitude and the cycle of life for Van Gogh, who famously used them to decorate a room for his friend Paul Gauguin. He hoped to be known as the "painter of sunflowers" and completed the famous Arles series between 1888 and 1889.

The Portraits category includes depictions of people Van Gogh knew, from the Roulin family to Dr. Gachet. He used expressive color and brushwork to capture the personality and emotion of his subjects, driven by a deep empathy for their lives. He painted peasants in Nuenen (1884-1885), but his most prolific period for portraits was in Arles (1888-1889), and he continued painting subjects like Dr. Gachet in Auvers-sur-Oise in 1890.

The Self-Portraits collection includes over 30 works, offering a profound look into the artist's psyche. Lacking money for models, Van Gogh used his own reflection to practice figure painting, creating a visual diary of his emotional state. He painted most of his self-portraits in Paris between 1886 and 1888, but continued creating intense and introspective works in Arles and Saint-Rémy, including the famous Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear.

The Landscapes and Wheatfields category showcases Van Gogh's love for nature, which he saw as a source of solace. The wheatfields were especially significant, symbolizing the cycles of life and, later, his own feelings of loneliness. His style evolved from the dark landscapes of Nuenen (1883-1885) to the vibrant colors of Arles (1888-1889). He painted some of his most famous landscapes from the asylum in Saint-Rémy and the turbulent wheatfields of Auvers-sur-Oise in 1890.

The Flora and Flowers group contains paintings of flowers and trees other than sunflowers, such as Irises and Almond Blossom. These works often symbolize hope and renewal and show a strong influence from Japanese art. For Van Gogh, painting flowers was a way to find respite from his inner turmoil. He began painting colorful still lifes in Paris (1886-1888) and continued to paint the flora of Provence, including the famous Irises from the asylum garden in Saint-Rémy (1889).

The Cityscapes, Buildings, and Interiors category includes scenes that reflect Van Gogh's personal experiences. These range from lively Parisian cafes to the tranquility of The Bedroom in Arles, which he intended to convey a sense of rest. Later works, such as views of the asylum in Saint-Rémy (1889-1890), evoke a feeling of isolation. He painted these scenes throughout his career, capturing the character of places in Paris, Arles, and Auvers-sur-Oise.

The selection of works on Country Life and People focuses on rural laborers. Van Gogh, greatly influenced by the artist Jean-François Millet, had a deep empathy for the working class and sought to portray their lives with dignity. He immersed himself in their world to capture its honesty, a theme best seen in his famous early masterpiece, The Potato Eaters. This theme was most prominent during his time in Nuenen from 1883 to 1885.

The general Still Life category encompasses paintings of everyday objects like shoes, books, and food, which he used to experiment with color and technique. His style evolved from the dark, earthy tones of his early work in Nuenen to a much brighter palette after being influenced by the Impressionists in Paris. The objects he painted, such as his own worn shoes, often held personal symbolic meaning.