Vincent van Gogh
Sundays this month will be devoted to the new Van Gogh Museum exhibition, Vincent's Path to Fame. The show reveals that his success was far from inevitable. Behind his global fame lies a deeply personal family story about perseverance, belief, and the care with which his legacy was shaped. Through paintings, letters, and remarkable objects, the exhibition shows how his family helped preserve Vincent's work and bring it to the world's attention. Today, we start with van Gogh's famous Almond Blossom. Enjoy!
In January 1890, Theo van Gogh had a son, Vincent Willem, named after his uncle. As a gift, Vincent painted blossoming almond branches against a bright blue sky. The blossom buds symbolize new life and a new beginning. The subject and composition reveal his inspiration from Japanese printmaking. He described the work as ‘perhaps the best’ he had made, painted with calm and assurance. It was intended to hang above the bed of Theo and his wife Jo, but instead was placed in the living room. Around 30 years later, Vincent Willem hung it in the bedroom of his sons. One of them later recalled how miraculous it was that the painting was never hit during a pillow fight.
Imagine your own pillow fight with Almond Blossom in the background. Now you can—this masterpiece is available as a high-quality reproduction.
P.S. Do you know how Vincent van Gogh became an international art icon? It was thanks to ... one woman. Read the fascinating story of Jo van Gogh-Bonger—the woman who made Van Gogh famous!
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