Sunflowers

This painting is one of Vincent van Gogh's most renowned works. In February 1888, Van Gogh left Paris for Arles in southern France, intending to create a community of artists. He invited Paul Gauguin, whom he deeply admired, to join him as the leader of this envisioned artistic group. Sunflowers were painted as part of Van Gogh’s preparations to decorate Gauguin's room in anticipation of his arrival. 

The version from the collection of the Sompo Museum of Art in Tokyo was likely painted between late November and early December 1888, during the period when Van Gogh and Gauguin lived and worked together. It was inspired by the earlier iconic Sunflowers from August 1888, which is now housed in the National Gallery in London. While the Tokyo and London versions share a similar composition and palette, the brushstrokes and tonal variations differ subtly. These differences suggest that Van Gogh approached this painting with fresh intentions and creative adjustments, rather than aiming to produce a simple replica.

Van Gogh was truly obsessed with sunflowers (in a good way)—he dedicated 11 paintings to them; some of them were painted in Paris, some in Arles. We chose one of these artworks as the cover of our notebook dedicated to Vincent van Gogh! 

P.S. Did you know Van Gogh painted two series of sunflower paintings? Do you know what they were supposed to symbolize? Here's all you need to know about Van Gogh's Sunflowers series! For more stories on Van Gogh, see the articles below.