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Van Gogh's Sunflowers

Serene
Sep 28
2 min read

Van Gogh’s love of nature runs through his art like a bright, living thread—you can see it most clearly in the way he painted flowers. He was drawn to the wildness and color of the natural world, often finding solace and inspiration in the fields and gardens around him. That affection poured into his still life's, which pulse with energy and movement, rather than feeling stiff or staged. Flowers weren’t just a subject for him—they were a way to experiment with light, color, and emotion. His series of sunflower paintings, in particular, shows how much he adored their boldness and their honest, sun-chasing faces. For Van Gogh, painting flowers was a kind of celebration, an attempt to capture the fleeting beauty of life before it faded.

In 1888 Van Gogh became inspired in southern France and began the most productive period of his painting career. He moved to Provence for the sun and the hopes of starting an artist colony. While there, he created a series of paintings that contained many elements of the Japanese Ukiyo-e prints that Van Gogh collected and were a major influence on his work. During his time in Arles, he painted 70 paintings in 70 days, with an intensity and exhaustive fervor. It was as if Vincent knew his time was limited. Some of his most famous paintings, Sunflowers and Wheatfields were painted during this time. It would become the last chapter in his life. Van Gogh did not live to see his talent recognized. He only sold one work and was little appreciated except for the support of his brother Theo and sister-in-law Joanna. In his brief career, his paintings and masterful drawings changed art forever. The intensity of his vision, his wonderful sense of color and the extraordinary boldness of his technique created masterpieces that have had an enduring influence on art history. His popularity is greater now than any other time.