Sunflowers

Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers is among the most famous paintings of Western art. In February 1888, Van Gogh left Paris for the town of Arles in southern France, where he had aspirations to establish an artistic community alongside his fellow painters. Among his esteemed colleagues, he extended a special invitation to the highly regarded artist Paul Gauguin, hoping that Gauguin would assume a leadership role in this artistic venture.

Several sunflower paintings were created in the fall of 1888 as Van Gogh eagerly awaited Gauguin's arrival. They were intended to adorn their living quarters. Unfortunately, their artistic collaboration lasted a short time. After the ear incident, Gauguin left Arles at the end of December. The work presented today was created shortly afterwards, in the winter of 1889. What's rather amazing, the artist depicted the flowers from his recollection. Throughout his ten-year artistic career, Van Gogh found himself repeatedly captivated by sunflowers, portraying them in various compositions and settings. The sunflower's shapes, vibrant colors, and inherent cheerfulness held a profound appeal for him. He associated its yellow hue with attributes like sunshine, the southern regions, and even Christ, symbolizing the light of the world.

If you are a van Gogh fan, please check what amazing artsy van Gogh products we have in our DailyArt Shop, including prints, socks, and notebooks. 

P.S. Did you know there were two series of Sunflowers painted by Van Gogh? Learn all you need to know about these iconic paintings! And below you can discover even more floral masterpieces by Vincent van Gogh!