Van Gogh's work is quite easy to distinguish from others. The artist had a unique style that distinguishes his canvases from others. His work "Starry Night" and "Sunflowers" gained worldwide fame. It will be about the latter. But who knows how many Sunflowers were?
Paris cycle
Some may be surprised by the fact that Sunflowers is not just one picture, but a cycle. Work on still lifes with sunflowers is traditionally divided into three stages. The artist wrote the first series in Paris in 1887. Later it was called Parisian. This cycle of paintings depicts lying flowers of sunflowers.
Arles Series
Again, Van Gogh returned to the topic of still lifes with sunflowers a year later, in Arles. This time, the artist depicted a lush bouquet of flowers in a vase.
Working on this canvas, Van Gogh was impressed by the beauty of nature. He wanted to create something bright, bright, joyful. Two canvases were intended for Paul Gauguin, an associate of Van Gogh. Vincent painted these paintings just before the meeting. He wanted to impress his friend, which he managed to do. On one of his canvases, Paul Gauguin portrayed Vincent writing his famous sunflowers.
Creating this series, Van Gogh applied a special technique of painting - impasto. This technique is notable for the fact that not only brushes, but also a knife are used during operation. As a result, the surface of the canvas becomes embossed and rough.
Third cycle
After Vincent left Arles, he began making copies of Sunflowers, introducing some changes to them. In 2014, visitors to the National Gallery of London had a unique opportunity to compare two still lifes with sunflowers. The first is the original, written in 1888, the second is a copy of 1889, which the artist created in Paris. Visitors to the gallery immediately noted that the copy is brighter than the original.
Where can I see "Sunflowers" now?
Still lifes belonging to the Arles series can be seen at the London National Gallery, as well as at the New Pinakothek in Munich. These are paintings painted in 1888. Canvases belonging to the third cycle are exhibited at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is noteworthy that most of the artist's works are stored in a museum in Amsterdam. Only some of his most famous masterpieces are rented by other museums and galleries from different countries. But if you want to enjoy the work of this particular artist, to see the paintings relating to different periods of his work, then you can do this at the Van Gogh Museum.