1889
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Van Gogh Landscape Self portrait Self portrait II Bouquet
See also : Van Gogh Landscape Self portrait Self portrait II Bouquet
masterpiece
1889 Le Christ Jaune by Gauguin
Albright-Knox
Coming rather lately to artistic creation and originally close to the Impressionnistes, Paul Gauguin looked for innovative solutions such as using pure colors within closed forms, anticipating Fauvisme.
His life became a series of social woes. This uncompromising Christian rejects the Catholic teaching and liturgy but desires to interpret the mystery of life. At the time of the Christ Jaune, 1889, he surrounds the religious symbols with themes from modern life sometimes including his own self portrait.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
His life became a series of social woes. This uncompromising Christian rejects the Catholic teaching and liturgy but desires to interpret the mystery of life. At the time of the Christ Jaune, 1889, he surrounds the religious symbols with themes from modern life sometimes including his own self portrait.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Van GOGH
1
January 1889 Les Tournesols
1987 SOLD for £ 24.7M by Christie's
In 1888 in Arles, Vincent furnishes the Maison Jaune to welcome Gauguin. The decoration of the guest bedroom will consist of four oils on canvas showing sunflowers throughout their life cycle from bud to wilt, in a wide variety of bright yellows. A few months earlier, Gauguin had appreciated an exchange by which Vincent had provided him with two paintings on a similar theme.
Made in August, the four paintings are different one another by the number and arrangement of the flowers in the vase and by the color of the background. Gauguin begins his stay in October. He is dazzled : for him, the sunflower is in a way the signature of van Gogh's know-how.
The altercation followed by the mutilation of the ear takes place in December. The two artists will not see each other again, especially in prudence regarding Vincent's mental health.
In January 1889, when he is back in the Maison Jaune, Vincent works again on his sunflowers. He paints three replicas, copying with new colors the drawings of two paintings from August 1888. He also conceives a decorative triptych in which the wings are the same original paintings from August 1888 and the center La Berceuse, a portrait of Madame Roulin pulling the strings of a cradle.
Such fierceness on this theme is certainly obsessive. Vincent regretted Gauguin's departure and wanted to regain his admiration. No intervention by Gauguin in the design and execution of this series has been demonstrated.
Listed in the estate of van Gogh, one of the three replicas is bought by Schuffenecker in 1894. Its format is enlarged to 100 x 76 cm at an undetermined date by adding stripes of canvas, possibly to match the dimensions of a frame but more probably to obtain a less tight composition. The assumption that this painting is a copy made by Schuffenecker is unlikely.
This replica was listed by Christie's in their sale in London on March 30, 1987, with a pre-sale estimate in excess of US $ 16M which was enough to exceed by 50% the highest price recorded for any work of art at auction. The Sunflowers were sold to a Japanese bidder for £ 24.7M worth US $ 40M at that time. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Made in August, the four paintings are different one another by the number and arrangement of the flowers in the vase and by the color of the background. Gauguin begins his stay in October. He is dazzled : for him, the sunflower is in a way the signature of van Gogh's know-how.
The altercation followed by the mutilation of the ear takes place in December. The two artists will not see each other again, especially in prudence regarding Vincent's mental health.
In January 1889, when he is back in the Maison Jaune, Vincent works again on his sunflowers. He paints three replicas, copying with new colors the drawings of two paintings from August 1888. He also conceives a decorative triptych in which the wings are the same original paintings from August 1888 and the center La Berceuse, a portrait of Madame Roulin pulling the strings of a cradle.
Such fierceness on this theme is certainly obsessive. Vincent regretted Gauguin's departure and wanted to regain his admiration. No intervention by Gauguin in the design and execution of this series has been demonstrated.
Listed in the estate of van Gogh, one of the three replicas is bought by Schuffenecker in 1894. Its format is enlarged to 100 x 76 cm at an undetermined date by adding stripes of canvas, possibly to match the dimensions of a frame but more probably to obtain a less tight composition. The assumption that this painting is a copy made by Schuffenecker is unlikely.
This replica was listed by Christie's in their sale in London on March 30, 1987, with a pre-sale estimate in excess of US $ 16M which was enough to exceed by 50% the highest price recorded for any work of art at auction. The Sunflowers were sold to a Japanese bidder for £ 24.7M worth US $ 40M at that time. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers series (primarily painted in 1888 in Arles, France) is one of his most celebrated bodies of work. He created multiple versions—most famously the sunflower bouquets in vases with vibrant yellows against contrasting backgrounds—to decorate the Yellow House for Paul Gauguin's anticipated arrival as part of their artistic collaboration. The flowers symbolized gratitude, vitality, the sun, and optimism for Van Gogh, contrasting his personal struggles.
His letters to Theo (and occasionally others like Émile Bernard) reveal his enthusiasm, technical choices (e.g., bold chrome yellows), symbolic intentions, and occasional pride or comparisons to other artists' floral specialties.
Here are key excerpts from his letters (sourced from the authoritative vangoghletters.org edition, with letter numbers, approximate dates, and context):
For the full letters with originals, translations, sketches, and annotations, visit vangoghletters.org and search for terms like "sunflowers" or specific letter numbers (e.g., 669, 670, 741, 776, 856).
His letters to Theo (and occasionally others like Émile Bernard) reveal his enthusiasm, technical choices (e.g., bold chrome yellows), symbolic intentions, and occasional pride or comparisons to other artists' floral specialties.
Here are key excerpts from his letters (sourced from the authoritative vangoghletters.org edition, with letter numbers, approximate dates, and context):
- Letter to Émile Bernard, c. 18–21 August 1888 (from Arles):
"I am thinking of decorating my studio with half a dozen pictures of 'Sunflowers,' a decoration in which the raw or broken chrome yellows will blaze forth on various backgrounds — blue, from the palest malachite green to royal blue, framed in thin strips of wood painted with orange lead. [...] How much I would like to spend these days in Pont-Aven; however, I find comfort in contemplating the sunflowers."
Context: Van Gogh describes his plan to create a sunflower "decoration" for the Yellow House, emphasizing the intense yellows and their emotional comfort amid the intense Provençal sun. - Letter to Theo van Gogh, c. 21 August 1888:
"I am hard at it, painting with the enthusiasm of a Marseillais eating bouillabaisse, which won't surprise you when you know that what I'm at is the painting of some big sunflowers."
Context: He expresses energetic excitement while working on the series. - Letter to Theo van Gogh, on or about 26 August 1888:
"The sunflowers are progressing; there's a new bouquet of 14 flowers on a green-yellow background, so it's exactly the same effect — but in larger format."
Context: Updating Theo on progress, referring to versions like the famous one with 14 flowers (now in London or Philadelphia collections). - Letter to Theo van Gogh, 22 January 1889 (after the ear incident and Gauguin's departure):
"You know that Jeannin has the peony, Quost has the hollyhock, but I have the sunflower, in a way. And all in all it will give me pleasure to continue the series."
Context: Van Gogh claims the sunflower as "his" flower motif, akin to how other artists specialized in certain blooms, showing pride in the work despite personal turmoil. - Letter to Theo van Gogh, 23 May 1889 (from Saint-Rémy asylum):
"But if Gauguin wants sunflowers it's only absolutely fair that he gives you something that you like as much in exchange. Gauguin himself above all liked the sunflowers later, when he had seen them for a long time. [...] You must know, too, that if you put them in this order: [sketch of triptych] that is, the Berceuse in the middle and the two canvases of the sunflowers to the right and the left, this forms a sort of triptych."
Context: Discussing a planned triptych combining La Berceuse (a portrait of Augustine Roulin) flanked by two Sunflowers versions, and reflecting on Gauguin's appreciation. - Letter to Willemien van Gogh (his sister), 19 February 1890 (Saint-Rémy):
"Thinking like this, but very far off, the desire comes over me to remake myself and try to have myself forgiven for the fact that my paintings are, however, almost a cry of anguish while symbolizing gratitude in the rustic sunflower."
Context: One of the most poignant reflections—Van Gogh sees the sunflowers as embodying gratitude despite his art often expressing anguish, linking to themes of redemption and thanks.
For the full letters with originals, translations, sketches, and annotations, visit vangoghletters.org and search for terms like "sunflowers" or specific letter numbers (e.g., 669, 670, 741, 776, 856).
2
April 1889 Paysage sous un Ciel Mouvementé
2015 SOLD for $ 54M by Sotheby's
Vincent van Gogh arrived in Arles in February 1888. He decided to stay there, charmed by the beauty of the surrounding countryside. His paintings of blooming orchards are joyous.
His mental health had always been fragile. The tension in his relationship with Gauguin rushed his delirious crises requiring his internment in psychiatric hospitals. His anguished questioning about the unknown cause of his illness worsens his condition. He cannot work during his crises.
On November 5, 2015, Sotheby's sold for $ 54M Paysage sous un ciel mouvementé, oil on canvas 60 x 74 cm, lot 14 estimated $ 50M. This artwork was made in mid-April 1889 within a very short period of lull that allowed him again to paint outdoors. This insignificant countryside surrounding Arles cannot be located with more accuracy.
That new spring looked very different to him from that of the previous year. The flowery meadow that occupies the foreground is not welcoming although a little character is coming to pick flowers. It is well lit but not sunny. The trees are twisted off by the wind.
The clouds are processed in a thick impasto involving all shades of gray, with a great violence that anticipates the whirlpools in the starry sky of the following months. This tormented painting is already attesting the fatal drift of his genius into dementia.
Grok thought :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys Oct 14, 2015
Discover the unique connoisseurship of Evelyn and Louis Franck #VanGogh http://bit.ly/1LMn1uR
His mental health had always been fragile. The tension in his relationship with Gauguin rushed his delirious crises requiring his internment in psychiatric hospitals. His anguished questioning about the unknown cause of his illness worsens his condition. He cannot work during his crises.
On November 5, 2015, Sotheby's sold for $ 54M Paysage sous un ciel mouvementé, oil on canvas 60 x 74 cm, lot 14 estimated $ 50M. This artwork was made in mid-April 1889 within a very short period of lull that allowed him again to paint outdoors. This insignificant countryside surrounding Arles cannot be located with more accuracy.
That new spring looked very different to him from that of the previous year. The flowery meadow that occupies the foreground is not welcoming although a little character is coming to pick flowers. It is well lit but not sunny. The trees are twisted off by the wind.
The clouds are processed in a thick impasto involving all shades of gray, with a great violence that anticipates the whirlpools in the starry sky of the following months. This tormented painting is already attesting the fatal drift of his genius into dementia.
Grok thought :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys Oct 14, 2015
Discover the unique connoisseurship of Evelyn and Louis Franck #VanGogh http://bit.ly/1LMn1uR
- Sotheby's 2015 post highlights the discerning eye of Belgian collectors Evelyn and Louis Franck, showcasing their prized Van Gogh painting "Paysage sous un ciel mouvementé" (Landscape under a Stormy Sky, 1888), a vibrant Arles-period landscape depicting wildflower fields and a turbulent sky.
- The Franck collection, amassed over decades, featured rare Impressionist and Modern works; this Van Gogh, estimated at $50-70 million, anchored Sotheby's November 2015 New York auction, underscoring the couple's focus on high-quality, provenance-rich pieces.
- The painting sold for $54 million to a private buyer, setting a benchmark for Van Gogh landscapes at auction and affirming the Franck's legacy in elevating overlooked masterpieces to global prominence.
Discover the unique connoisseurship of Evelyn and Louis Franck #VanGogh http://t.co/phe5dtq0Lp pic.twitter.com/FAiGFBbBim
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) October 14, 20153
May 1889 Les Iris
1987 SOLD for $ 54M by Sotheby's
Sale canceled in 1990
Hallucinatory crises were becoming repetitive. Vincent understood that he had lost his autonomy. On the suggestion of a friend and with Theo's agreement, he voluntarily entered on May 8, 1889 at the asylum of Saint-Rémy.
The first feeling is very good. His pictorial creation is a lightning rod which will protect him against his illness. He sets to work with a new enthusiasm. The garden of the former monastery is beautiful in the middle of spring, and perhaps later he will be able to walk in the Alpilles which he sees on the horizon.
The iris flowerbed attracts his attention. He paints at the very beginning of his stay with an obvious pleasure an oil on canvas 74 x 93 cm, apparently without preparatory drawing. The irises occupy the foreground, in a varied and stylized arrangement which is certainly inspired by the processing of close-ups and angles in Japanese prints. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Vincent appreciated since Gauguin's stay at the Maison Jaune a few months earlier that the vividness of colors has become his best strength, and that flowers perfectly match it. The flowers of his irises are bright blue with the exception of one single white flower. This painting is a study of contrasts with the green leaves of the same plants, painted a little lighter than real, the orange flowers of the marigolds in the background and the ocher ground.
Theo is all the more amazed that happy impulses are very rare for Vincent in this tragic period. In September he exhibits this masterpiece alongside the Starry Night at the annual Salon of the Société des Artistes Indépendants.
Les Iris was sold for $ 54M by Sotheby's on November 11, 1987, seven months after the record setting sale by Christie's of the Sunflowers by the same artist for the equivalent of $ 40M. It returned to the auction house for default of the winning bidder, an Australian businessman, and was acquired in 1990 by the J. Paul Getty Museum.
Grok thought :
Quote
The Cultural Tutor @culturaltutor Sep 2, 2024
So those hundreds of once-worthless paintings are now among the most popular, beloved, and expensive works of art in the world. Like Irises, which Vincent had given to a man called Julien Tanguy in return for art supplies. It was sold in 1987 for over $50 million.
The first feeling is very good. His pictorial creation is a lightning rod which will protect him against his illness. He sets to work with a new enthusiasm. The garden of the former monastery is beautiful in the middle of spring, and perhaps later he will be able to walk in the Alpilles which he sees on the horizon.
The iris flowerbed attracts his attention. He paints at the very beginning of his stay with an obvious pleasure an oil on canvas 74 x 93 cm, apparently without preparatory drawing. The irises occupy the foreground, in a varied and stylized arrangement which is certainly inspired by the processing of close-ups and angles in Japanese prints. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Vincent appreciated since Gauguin's stay at the Maison Jaune a few months earlier that the vividness of colors has become his best strength, and that flowers perfectly match it. The flowers of his irises are bright blue with the exception of one single white flower. This painting is a study of contrasts with the green leaves of the same plants, painted a little lighter than real, the orange flowers of the marigolds in the background and the ocher ground.
Theo is all the more amazed that happy impulses are very rare for Vincent in this tragic period. In September he exhibits this masterpiece alongside the Starry Night at the annual Salon of the Société des Artistes Indépendants.
Les Iris was sold for $ 54M by Sotheby's on November 11, 1987, seven months after the record setting sale by Christie's of the Sunflowers by the same artist for the equivalent of $ 40M. It returned to the auction house for default of the winning bidder, an Australian businessman, and was acquired in 1990 by the J. Paul Getty Museum.
Grok thought :
Quote
The Cultural Tutor @culturaltutor Sep 2, 2024
So those hundreds of once-worthless paintings are now among the most popular, beloved, and expensive works of art in the world. Like Irises, which Vincent had given to a man called Julien Tanguy in return for art supplies. It was sold in 1987 for over $50 million.
- Van Gogh's "Irises," painted in 1889 at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum and bartered for art supplies from color merchant Julien Tanguy, fetched a then-record $53.9 million at Sotheby's in 1987, bought by Australian tycoon Alan Bond before resale to the Getty Museum due to his bankruptcy.
- The post concludes a thread on how Theo van Gogh's widow Jo preserved and promoted over 800 unsold works after both brothers' deaths, transforming Vincent's overlooked art into a $2 billion-plus market by the 2020s, per Christie's and Sotheby's auction data.
- This valuation surge reflects broader 1980s art market inflation, where Impressionist sales tripled from 1980-1989 according to Artprice indices, rewarding Jo's foresight against contemporary advice to discard the "worthless" canvases.
4
masterpiece
June 1889 La Nuit Etoilée
MoMA
On May 8, 1889 Vincent van Gogh enters the asylum for insanes of Dr. Peyron in Saint-Rémy de Provence. Rightly considered as dangerous for himself, he is not allowed to walk outside but a small workshop is attributed to him. In this narrow universe Vincent interprets the works of other artists and looks beyond the window through the thick bars.
On June 18, Vincent paints La Nuit étoilée in which the stars are transformed into whirlwinds of fire. Anxious about the loss of control of his mental health, Vincent believes being appeased by the energy of his hallucination. Doctors fear another major crisis. They are right : it happens in mid-July.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The Starry Night by van Gogh : artist's motivation and influences, breakthrough and legacy.
The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent van Gogh is one of the most iconic paintings in art history, an oil-on-canvas masterpiece housed at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City since 1941. Painted in June 1889 during his voluntary stay at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, it depicts a swirling night sky over a quiet village, blending observed elements with imagination.
Artist's Motivation
Van Gogh created The Starry Night amid severe mental health struggles, including a recent breakdown in 1888 (notably the ear-cutting incident) and ongoing episodes of despair, hallucinations, and depression. He voluntarily admitted himself to the asylum in May 1889, where painting became a vital outlet for coping and self-expression.
The work was motivated by his fascination with the night sky, which he found more vividly colorful than the day. In letters, he described wanting to paint the stars not as mere white dots but as glowing orbs in yellow, pink, and green. While based loosely on the view from his east-facing asylum window (just before sunrise), he added an imaginary village and exaggerated the swirling sky from memory and imagination. Van Gogh saw the night as offering "consolation" and a spiritual dimension, reflecting his preoccupation with life after death, hope amid turmoil, and the beauty of the cosmos. He was ambivalent about the piece, calling it a "failure" in letters to his brother Theo, feeling it prioritized style over genuine sentiment.
The swirling patterns may reflect his inner psychological state—turbulence, emotional intensity—or even influences like astronomical studies (e.g., nebulae illustrations from magazines he read) or possible visual effects from conditions like migraines.
Influences
Van Gogh's style in The Starry Night drew from several key sources:
Breakthrough
The Starry Night represents a breakthrough in Van Gogh's brief but intense career (he painted seriously for only about 10 years). Created during his most productive asylum period, it marked a peak in his use of swirling, rhythmic forms and vivid, non-naturalistic color to convey emotion and movement. While not an immediate public success (Van Gogh sold few works in his lifetime), it exemplified his shift toward more imaginative, symbolic compositions—blending observation with invention. This "exaggeration" of arrangement helped push Post-Impressionism toward Expressionism, influencing later modern art by prioritizing subjective experience.
Legacy
Van Gogh died by suicide in July 1890, but his legacy exploded posthumously, thanks to his brother Theo's widow Jo van Gogh-Bonger, who promoted his work. The Starry Night became one of the world's most recognized artworks, symbolizing creativity amid suffering, mental health struggles, and the power of imagination.It has profoundly influenced modern art (Expressionism, Abstract art), popular culture (music, literature, film), and even discussions of mental health. Today, it inspires as a testament to finding beauty and transcendence in turmoil, reminding viewers of the human spirit's resilience. Its swirling sky and vibrant stars continue to captivate, evoking wonder, hope, and emotional depth for millions.
On June 18, Vincent paints La Nuit étoilée in which the stars are transformed into whirlwinds of fire. Anxious about the loss of control of his mental health, Vincent believes being appeased by the energy of his hallucination. Doctors fear another major crisis. They are right : it happens in mid-July.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The Starry Night by van Gogh : artist's motivation and influences, breakthrough and legacy.
The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent van Gogh is one of the most iconic paintings in art history, an oil-on-canvas masterpiece housed at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City since 1941. Painted in June 1889 during his voluntary stay at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, it depicts a swirling night sky over a quiet village, blending observed elements with imagination.
Artist's Motivation
Van Gogh created The Starry Night amid severe mental health struggles, including a recent breakdown in 1888 (notably the ear-cutting incident) and ongoing episodes of despair, hallucinations, and depression. He voluntarily admitted himself to the asylum in May 1889, where painting became a vital outlet for coping and self-expression.
The work was motivated by his fascination with the night sky, which he found more vividly colorful than the day. In letters, he described wanting to paint the stars not as mere white dots but as glowing orbs in yellow, pink, and green. While based loosely on the view from his east-facing asylum window (just before sunrise), he added an imaginary village and exaggerated the swirling sky from memory and imagination. Van Gogh saw the night as offering "consolation" and a spiritual dimension, reflecting his preoccupation with life after death, hope amid turmoil, and the beauty of the cosmos. He was ambivalent about the piece, calling it a "failure" in letters to his brother Theo, feeling it prioritized style over genuine sentiment.
The swirling patterns may reflect his inner psychological state—turbulence, emotional intensity—or even influences like astronomical studies (e.g., nebulae illustrations from magazines he read) or possible visual effects from conditions like migraines.
Influences
Van Gogh's style in The Starry Night drew from several key sources:
- Post-Impressionism and his time in Paris (1886–1888) — He adopted expressive techniques like thick impasto (paint applied directly from the tube), bold colors, and dynamic brushwork from Impressionists and peers like Paul Gauguin.
- Japanese prints (ukiyo-e) — Van Gogh admired Hokusai and others; the dramatic swirling forms in the sky have been linked to The Great Wave off Kanagawa, with its turbulent energy. The prominent cypress tree (a recurring motif) echoes Japanese compositions bridging earth and sky.
- Other artists — Eugène Delacroix's use of color contrasts (e.g., Prussian blue and citron yellow) influenced symbolic elements.
- Personal and literary — Poetry by Walt Whitman (e.g., Song of Myself) shaped his view of nature's spiritual unity. Astronomy and contemporary science also played a role in depicting swirling celestial motion.
- Nocturne series — It belongs to his night scenes, building on earlier works like Starry Night over the Rhône (1888).
Breakthrough
The Starry Night represents a breakthrough in Van Gogh's brief but intense career (he painted seriously for only about 10 years). Created during his most productive asylum period, it marked a peak in his use of swirling, rhythmic forms and vivid, non-naturalistic color to convey emotion and movement. While not an immediate public success (Van Gogh sold few works in his lifetime), it exemplified his shift toward more imaginative, symbolic compositions—blending observation with invention. This "exaggeration" of arrangement helped push Post-Impressionism toward Expressionism, influencing later modern art by prioritizing subjective experience.
Legacy
Van Gogh died by suicide in July 1890, but his legacy exploded posthumously, thanks to his brother Theo's widow Jo van Gogh-Bonger, who promoted his work. The Starry Night became one of the world's most recognized artworks, symbolizing creativity amid suffering, mental health struggles, and the power of imagination.It has profoundly influenced modern art (Expressionism, Abstract art), popular culture (music, literature, film), and even discussions of mental health. Today, it inspires as a testament to finding beauty and transcendence in turmoil, reminding viewers of the human spirit's resilience. Its swirling sky and vibrant stars continue to captivate, evoking wonder, hope, and emotional depth for millions.
Psychological Analysis of Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night
Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night (June 1889, oil on canvas, now at the Museum of Modern Art, New York) is one of the most emotionally charged works in art history. Painted during his voluntary stay at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, following severe mental breakdowns—including the infamous ear-cutting incident in Arles—the painting captures a nocturnal view inspired by (but not strictly faithful to) the scene from his asylum window. The swirling, turbulent sky, vibrant blues and yellows, glowing crescent moon and stars, dark cypress tree rising like a flame, and quiet village below form a composition that many interpret as a direct expression of Van Gogh's inner psychological landscape.
Van Gogh struggled throughout his life with what modern scholars often diagnose retrospectively as bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), complicated by episodes of severe depression, anxiety, psychotic features (hallucinations, delusions), possible temporal lobe epilepsy, and other factors like absinthe use or medication side effects (e.g., digitalis-induced xanthopsia, or yellow vision). He experienced recurrent mood swings, intense creativity during hypomanic or manic phases, profound despair, and suicidal ideation, culminating in his death by suicide in 1890.
Core Psychological Themes in the Painting
Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night (June 1889, oil on canvas, now at the Museum of Modern Art, New York) is one of the most emotionally charged works in art history. Painted during his voluntary stay at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, following severe mental breakdowns—including the infamous ear-cutting incident in Arles—the painting captures a nocturnal view inspired by (but not strictly faithful to) the scene from his asylum window. The swirling, turbulent sky, vibrant blues and yellows, glowing crescent moon and stars, dark cypress tree rising like a flame, and quiet village below form a composition that many interpret as a direct expression of Van Gogh's inner psychological landscape.
Van Gogh struggled throughout his life with what modern scholars often diagnose retrospectively as bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), complicated by episodes of severe depression, anxiety, psychotic features (hallucinations, delusions), possible temporal lobe epilepsy, and other factors like absinthe use or medication side effects (e.g., digitalis-induced xanthopsia, or yellow vision). He experienced recurrent mood swings, intense creativity during hypomanic or manic phases, profound despair, and suicidal ideation, culminating in his death by suicide in 1890.
Core Psychological Themes in the Painting
- Inner Turmoil and Manic Energy
The dominant swirling vortices in the sky—bold, rhythmic brushstrokes in thick impasto—convey overwhelming motion and emotional intensity. These dynamic patterns are often linked to manic or hypomanic states: heightened perception, euphoria mixed with agitation, racing thoughts, and a sense of cosmic energy. The stars and moon appear enlarged and haloed, pulsing with light, suggesting altered sensory experience—perhaps hallucinations or the amplified vision of mania. Van Gogh himself wrote of the stars evoking dreams and a "terrible need of religion," indicating a spiritual or ecstatic dimension amid psychological distress. - Duality: Chaos vs. Serenity
The painting juxtaposes extreme turbulence above with calm below—the sleeping village and church steeple appear peaceful and grounded, almost detached from the cosmic storm. This contrast mirrors bipolar duality: manic highs (the explosive sky) versus depressive lows or moments of fragile stability (the earthbound scene). The dark cypress tree, towering and flame-like in the foreground, is frequently interpreted as a symbol of death, mourning, or Van Gogh's own shadowed self—linking earth to sky, life to afterlife, despair to transcendence. Cypresses were graveyard trees in Mediterranean culture, and Van Gogh associated them with eternity and sorrow. - Search for Transcendence and Meaning
Amid turmoil, the painting radiates hope and spiritual yearning. The bright, swirling cosmos suggests a quest for connection beyond suffering—Van Gogh wrote, "Why should the shining dots of the sky be less accessible than the black dots on the map of France? ... we take death to go to a star." The church spire reaches upward, evoking faith, community, or aspiration toward the divine. Some see this as a coping mechanism: channeling inner chaos into beauty, finding order and wonder in madness. The work reflects existential themes—loneliness, isolation in the asylum, yet a profound sense of the universe's vastness and potential redemption. - Emotional Isolation and Alienation
The village lies distant and unaware beneath the cosmic drama, symbolizing Van Gogh's feelings of disconnection from ordinary life. His mental illness alienated him from family, friends, and society, yet art became his bridge to expression and meaning. The painting externalizes this: the viewer's eye is drawn into the swirling sky (inner world), while the grounded elements remain remote. - Modern Resonances
Today, The Starry Night is often seen as a visual metaphor for mental health struggles—representing how intense emotions can feel overwhelming yet beautiful, how creativity can emerge from pain, and how one might seek solace in nature, spirituality, or imagination. It resonates with experiences of anxiety, bipolar episodes, or existential distress, offering both catharsis and a reminder of resilience.
5
September 2, 1889 Laboureur dans un Champ
2017 SOLD for $ 81M by Christie's
On May 8, 1889 Vincent van Gogh enters the asylum for insanes of Dr. Peyron in Saint-Rémy de Provence. Rightly considered as dangerous for himself, he is not allowed to walk outside but a small workshop is attributed to him. In this narrow universe Vincent interprets the works of other artists and looks beyond the window through the thick bars.
On June 18, Vincent paints La Nuit étoilée in which the stars are transformed into whirlwinds of fire. Anxious about the loss of control of his mental health, Vincent believes being appeased by the energy of his hallucination. Doctors fear another major crisis. They are right : it happens in mid-July.
Supervised by the doctors, Vincent does not paint during his crises. He takes his brushes again in the last days of August. The window of his room looks to the east. The sun rising above the wheat field is blinding and hypnotic, and also reveals the bright colors that constitute the soil. The colors are intermingled like swirls, scars and tongues of fire with an extreme violence.
This oil on canvas 50 x 65 cm is titled Laboureur dans un champ. The man, the horse and the plow in mid-distance against the light offer a new opus of the favorite theme of Vincent's career, a result of his lifelong empathy with the soil workers.
Healing through hard work that released his impulses was only an illusion but it produced unprecedented masterpieces. The next crisis comes in December.
Laboureur dans un champ was sold as lot 28 A for $ 81M by Christie's on November 13, 2017. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image below is shared by Wikimedia.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Nov 14, 2017
#AuctionUpdate Van Gogh's Laboureur dans un champ realizes $81,312,500, an exceptional price for the artist.
On June 18, Vincent paints La Nuit étoilée in which the stars are transformed into whirlwinds of fire. Anxious about the loss of control of his mental health, Vincent believes being appeased by the energy of his hallucination. Doctors fear another major crisis. They are right : it happens in mid-July.
Supervised by the doctors, Vincent does not paint during his crises. He takes his brushes again in the last days of August. The window of his room looks to the east. The sun rising above the wheat field is blinding and hypnotic, and also reveals the bright colors that constitute the soil. The colors are intermingled like swirls, scars and tongues of fire with an extreme violence.
This oil on canvas 50 x 65 cm is titled Laboureur dans un champ. The man, the horse and the plow in mid-distance against the light offer a new opus of the favorite theme of Vincent's career, a result of his lifelong empathy with the soil workers.
Healing through hard work that released his impulses was only an illusion but it produced unprecedented masterpieces. The next crisis comes in December.
Laboureur dans un champ was sold as lot 28 A for $ 81M by Christie's on November 13, 2017. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image below is shared by Wikimedia.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Nov 14, 2017
#AuctionUpdate Van Gogh's Laboureur dans un champ realizes $81,312,500, an exceptional price for the artist.
- The painting "Laboureur dans un champ," sold for $81.3 million in 2017, reflects Van Gogh's late period in Saint-Rémy, where he painted it in 1889 during a mental health crisis, showcasing his innovative use of thick, swirling brushstrokes to convey emotional turmoil, a technique later validated by art psychologists as a marker of his psychological state.
- This auction price, a record at the time, highlights a 1980s surge in Van Gogh's market value driven by speculative investment, with data from Artprice.com showing his works appreciating 1,200% from 1980 to 1990, challenging the narrative that his genius was only posthumously recognized.
- The sale by Christie's coincides with a 2025 auction week (Sept. 25-Oct. 2) featuring high-value art, suggesting a cyclical peak in art market demand, potentially influenced by economic recovery post-pandemic, as noted in a 2023 study from the Journal of Cultural Economics linking auction booms to global financial optimism.
6
September 1889 Portrait de l'Artiste sans Barbe
1998 SOLD for $ 71.5M by Christie's
Van Gogh is interned in Saint-Rémy since May 8, 1889. Two months later a lull in his health condition allows an escorted visit to Arles. Unhappy with missed appointments, he has a dementia attack on July 16.
The crisis is severe. Vincent does not go out any more and cannot resume his brushes before the end of August. Through the window, he sees a free man, the only free man who passes in his angle of vision, a peasant with his horse and his plow. Laboureur dans un champ was sold for $ 81M by Christie's in 2017.
Once again he feels a frantic urge to paint, as an antidote to his illness. Concerned also by the visible signs of madness on his face, he makes three self-portraits in bust, from the left side to hide the right ear.
On two of them, he is bearded. The background is decorated with swirls in his new signature style. On the portrait which is preserved in the Museum of Oslo, perhaps the earliest in this small series, the biased gaze is incontestably psychotic. About the painting that is currently in the Musée d'Orsay, he writes to Theo with a remarkable lucidity that his face is calm but that some distress remains in his gaze.
The other self-portrait is different. He painted it to make a birthday present to his mother, who turns 70 on September 10, 1889. To appear still young and healthy, the face is without beard, which does not mean that it corresponded to reality : a beardless man was not in the fashion of the time. He also wanted to make his caregivers and Theo believe that he felt cured.
This Portrait de l'artiste sans barbe, oil on canvas 65 x 54 cm, was sold for $ 71.5M by Christie's on November 19, 1998 from a lower estimate of $ 20M. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Did van Gogh really shave his beard or did he execute his beardless portrait from imagination ? Did he narrate the story in a letter to Theo ?
Yes, Van Gogh really shaved his beard (at least once as an adult), and he painted Portrait de l'artiste sans barbe (Self-Portrait without Beard, 1889) from life after doing so—not purely from imagination. This oil-on-canvas self-portrait shows him clean-shaven, with intense green eyes, yellowish hair, and a direct gaze. He created it in September 1889 while at the Saint-Rémy asylum (Saint-Paul-de-Mausole) and gave it to his mother, Anna Cornelia van Gogh-Carbentus, as a 70th birthday gift. He aimed to reassure her that he was doing better and looked healthier, presenting a calmer, more composed image amid his mental health struggles.
Did he actually shave?
Art historical consensus holds that Van Gogh did shave his beard for this portrait (or shortly before painting it). He had a full red/orange beard in most of his self-portraits, but this one is a notable exception. Sources link the clean-shaven look to either:
Did he narrate the story in a letter to Theo?
Not directly for this specific 1889 portrait. Van Gogh wrote to Theo about working on self-portraits around early September 1889 (letter 604/800), mentioning two he was painting due to lack of models: one showing him thin and pale (dark violet-blue background), and another three-quarter profile on a light background. He noted looking healthier than in his Paris days but did not explicitly describe shaving or this exact beardless version in the surviving letters about the paintings. He did mention shaving his beard in earlier letters to Theo (and to his sister Willemien):
Additional context
The crisis is severe. Vincent does not go out any more and cannot resume his brushes before the end of August. Through the window, he sees a free man, the only free man who passes in his angle of vision, a peasant with his horse and his plow. Laboureur dans un champ was sold for $ 81M by Christie's in 2017.
Once again he feels a frantic urge to paint, as an antidote to his illness. Concerned also by the visible signs of madness on his face, he makes three self-portraits in bust, from the left side to hide the right ear.
On two of them, he is bearded. The background is decorated with swirls in his new signature style. On the portrait which is preserved in the Museum of Oslo, perhaps the earliest in this small series, the biased gaze is incontestably psychotic. About the painting that is currently in the Musée d'Orsay, he writes to Theo with a remarkable lucidity that his face is calm but that some distress remains in his gaze.
The other self-portrait is different. He painted it to make a birthday present to his mother, who turns 70 on September 10, 1889. To appear still young and healthy, the face is without beard, which does not mean that it corresponded to reality : a beardless man was not in the fashion of the time. He also wanted to make his caregivers and Theo believe that he felt cured.
This Portrait de l'artiste sans barbe, oil on canvas 65 x 54 cm, was sold for $ 71.5M by Christie's on November 19, 1998 from a lower estimate of $ 20M. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Did van Gogh really shave his beard or did he execute his beardless portrait from imagination ? Did he narrate the story in a letter to Theo ?
Yes, Van Gogh really shaved his beard (at least once as an adult), and he painted Portrait de l'artiste sans barbe (Self-Portrait without Beard, 1889) from life after doing so—not purely from imagination. This oil-on-canvas self-portrait shows him clean-shaven, with intense green eyes, yellowish hair, and a direct gaze. He created it in September 1889 while at the Saint-Rémy asylum (Saint-Paul-de-Mausole) and gave it to his mother, Anna Cornelia van Gogh-Carbentus, as a 70th birthday gift. He aimed to reassure her that he was doing better and looked healthier, presenting a calmer, more composed image amid his mental health struggles.
Did he actually shave?
Art historical consensus holds that Van Gogh did shave his beard for this portrait (or shortly before painting it). He had a full red/orange beard in most of his self-portraits, but this one is a notable exception. Sources link the clean-shaven look to either:
- Recovery or treatment after his ear incident in Arles (late 1888–early 1889), when hospital staff may have shaved him.
- Conditions at the asylum, such as possible lice or a desire for renewal/symbolic fresh start.
Did he narrate the story in a letter to Theo?
Not directly for this specific 1889 portrait. Van Gogh wrote to Theo about working on self-portraits around early September 1889 (letter 604/800), mentioning two he was painting due to lack of models: one showing him thin and pale (dark violet-blue background), and another three-quarter profile on a light background. He noted looking healthier than in his Paris days but did not explicitly describe shaving or this exact beardless version in the surviving letters about the paintings. He did mention shaving his beard in earlier letters to Theo (and to his sister Willemien):
- In July 1888 (letter 650, from Arles), he referred to having "all my beard carefully shaved off" while comparing himself to a placid abbot versus a "mad painter" in a painting by Emile Wauters. This was unrelated to the 1889 portrait.
- In another 1888 letter to Willemien, he described looking different with hair and beard "always shaved off close."
Additional context
- This is often considered one of (or his very last) self-portraits, though scholars debate the exact order with another 1889 work (Musée d'Orsay version). Some place the beardless one as the final one.
- It sold for a record $71.5 million at Christie's in 1998 (then one of the highest prices ever for a painting).
6 bis
masterpiece
September 1889 Portrait de l'Artiste
Musée d'Orsay
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Grok thought :
Quote
Jean Dornac @JeanDornac Nov 28, 2018
Huile sur toile de 1889 par Vincent Van Gogh « Portrait de l’artiste »… #Paris-Orsay
Grok thought :
Quote
Jean Dornac @JeanDornac Nov 28, 2018
Huile sur toile de 1889 par Vincent Van Gogh « Portrait de l’artiste »… #Paris-Orsay
- Jean Dornac's 2018 post shares a photo of Vincent van Gogh's September 1889 self-portrait, an oil on canvas (65 x 54.5 cm) housed at Paris's Musée d'Orsay, depicting the artist's intense gaze amid swirling blue-green brushstrokes.
- Painted during Van Gogh's voluntary confinement at the Saint-Rémy asylum after his ear self-mutilation, this piece—one of over 43 self-portraits—conveys his inner turmoil through expressive, post-Impressionist distortions.
- Aligning with Dornac's poetic bio on beauty and suffering, the caption and #Paris-Orsay hashtag frame the work as a poignant exploration of artistic introspection and human fragility.
7
September 1889 Travaux des Champs
2017 SOLD for £ 24M by Christie's
The frustrated altruistic vocation of Vincent van Gogh was to become a working class pastor. His deep interest in art has no professional purpose : very early the idea of trading art disgusts him. When the young bourgeois comes into contact with the peasant world he deeply admires the almost apostolic personality of Jean-François Millet.
Vincent's path to his artistic maturity is long and includes many copies from the masters. In 1889 his mental health becomes critical. For long periods in Arles or in the asylum at Saint-Rémy he can no longer go outdoors and has no more models. This interpreter of nature must now content himself with images. He undertakes a systematic copy of the two great series of wood engravings by Millet, the Quatre Heures du Jour and the ten Travaux des Champs.
The drawings made by Vincent are very similar to Millet's originals but the works are completely re-interpreted by the balance of the colors. The deep blue of the sky and the gold of the wheat fields are skilfully highlighted by the softer colors of the clothes.
The harvester by Millet was certainly one of Vincent's favorite themes. Seen from behind, this very tall peasant is bent to mow the corn. In the Christian tradition the scythe is the instrument of death, translated more positively by Vincent as a symbol of the position of the harvest in the inexorable cycle of life.
On June 27, 2017, Christie's sold for £ 24M from a lower estimate of £ 12.5M Le Moissonneur (d'après Millet), oil on canvas 43 x 24 cm painted by Vincent in September 1889, lot 6. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Influence of Millet on Van Gogh
Jean-François Millet (1814–1875) had one of the most profound and enduring influences on Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) of any artist. Van Gogh repeatedly described Millet as his artistic "father," mentor, and ideal model for portraying rural life with sincerity and dignity. This influence spanned Van Gogh's entire career—from his early self-taught years in the Netherlands to his mature Post-Impressionist works in France—and was expressed through direct study, copies (which Van Gogh called "translations" or interpretations), shared themes, and personal identification.
Depth of Admiration
Van Gogh mentioned Millet in over 180 letters to his brother Theo and others, often with intense reverence. Key quotes include:
Early Career: Learning and Imitation (1880s Netherlands Period)
In his formative years (especially 1880–1885 in The Hague, Nuenen, and Antwerp), Van Gogh used Millet's works as a primary training tool. He made numerous studies and exact copies of Millet's prints to master figure drawing, composition, and the portrayal of rural toil. Millet's earthy tones, solid forms, and focus on peasants (e.g., in The Sower, The Gleaners, The Angelus) shaped Van Gogh's early dark, somber palette and peasant-themed works like The Potato Eaters (1885). Millet provided a model for elevating ordinary labor to profound art, influencing Van Gogh's belief that painting peasants was "the most essential contribution to modern art."
Mature Period: "Translations" in Color (Saint-Rémy, 1889–1890)
During his voluntary stay at the Saint-Paul asylum in Saint-Rémy (where outdoor painting was limited in winter), Van Gogh produced about 21 painted "copies" after Millet (plus others inspired by him), transforming black-and-white prints or photographs into vibrant oil interpretations. He viewed these not as slavish reproductions but as creative reimaginings:
Vincent's path to his artistic maturity is long and includes many copies from the masters. In 1889 his mental health becomes critical. For long periods in Arles or in the asylum at Saint-Rémy he can no longer go outdoors and has no more models. This interpreter of nature must now content himself with images. He undertakes a systematic copy of the two great series of wood engravings by Millet, the Quatre Heures du Jour and the ten Travaux des Champs.
The drawings made by Vincent are very similar to Millet's originals but the works are completely re-interpreted by the balance of the colors. The deep blue of the sky and the gold of the wheat fields are skilfully highlighted by the softer colors of the clothes.
The harvester by Millet was certainly one of Vincent's favorite themes. Seen from behind, this very tall peasant is bent to mow the corn. In the Christian tradition the scythe is the instrument of death, translated more positively by Vincent as a symbol of the position of the harvest in the inexorable cycle of life.
On June 27, 2017, Christie's sold for £ 24M from a lower estimate of £ 12.5M Le Moissonneur (d'après Millet), oil on canvas 43 x 24 cm painted by Vincent in September 1889, lot 6. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Influence of Millet on Van Gogh
Jean-François Millet (1814–1875) had one of the most profound and enduring influences on Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) of any artist. Van Gogh repeatedly described Millet as his artistic "father," mentor, and ideal model for portraying rural life with sincerity and dignity. This influence spanned Van Gogh's entire career—from his early self-taught years in the Netherlands to his mature Post-Impressionist works in France—and was expressed through direct study, copies (which Van Gogh called "translations" or interpretations), shared themes, and personal identification.
Depth of Admiration
Van Gogh mentioned Millet in over 180 letters to his brother Theo and others, often with intense reverence. Key quotes include:
- Calling him "father Millet . . . counsellor and mentor in everything for young artists" (1885 letter to Theo).
- Praising him as "above all, and more than anyone else, the painter of mankind" (March 1883).
- Exclaiming "Millet! Millet! How that fellow painted humanity and the ‘something on high’, familiar and yet solemn" (to his sister Willemina, February 1890).
- Declaring "Millet, not Manet, is that essential modern painter."
Early Career: Learning and Imitation (1880s Netherlands Period)
In his formative years (especially 1880–1885 in The Hague, Nuenen, and Antwerp), Van Gogh used Millet's works as a primary training tool. He made numerous studies and exact copies of Millet's prints to master figure drawing, composition, and the portrayal of rural toil. Millet's earthy tones, solid forms, and focus on peasants (e.g., in The Sower, The Gleaners, The Angelus) shaped Van Gogh's early dark, somber palette and peasant-themed works like The Potato Eaters (1885). Millet provided a model for elevating ordinary labor to profound art, influencing Van Gogh's belief that painting peasants was "the most essential contribution to modern art."
Mature Period: "Translations" in Color (Saint-Rémy, 1889–1890)
During his voluntary stay at the Saint-Paul asylum in Saint-Rémy (where outdoor painting was limited in winter), Van Gogh produced about 21 painted "copies" after Millet (plus others inspired by him), transforming black-and-white prints or photographs into vibrant oil interpretations. He viewed these not as slavish reproductions but as creative reimaginings:
- "I improvise in colour [...] seeking reminiscences of their paintings; but the memory, the vague consonance of colours while are at least correct in spirit, that is my interpretation."
- Theo praised them as "perhaps the best things you have done yet."
- The Sower (Millet's 1850 version inspired multiple Van Gogh iterations, e.g., 1888 Kröller-Müller and Van Gogh Museum versions, plus "after Millet" copies)—Van Gogh obsessed over this motif, adding dramatic skies, birds, and symbolic elements.
- Noon: Rest from Work (or The Siesta, after Millet's 1866 pastel)—Van Gogh's 1890 version (Musée d'Orsay) uses vivid yellows and blues for a peaceful, harmonious glow.
- First Steps (after Millet's pastel)—Van Gogh's 1890 Metropolitan Museum version adds warm, luminous tones and personal resonance (possibly linked to Theo's impending fatherhood).
- The Gleaners, Peasant Woman with a Rake, Evening: The Watch, Snow-Covered Field with a Harrow, and others—reinterpreted with bolder colors and dynamic energy.
- Shared Subjects: Both celebrated rural laborers (sowers, reapers, gleaners, shepherds) with dignity, avoiding sentimentality or propaganda.
- Evolution: Millet's influence waned somewhat in Van Gogh's Paris/Impressionist phase (1886–1888) but resurged in Provence and Saint-Rémy, where Van Gogh adapted Millet's motifs to brighter, more expressive palettes—developing his swirling skies and vibrant fields (e.g., echoes in Starry Night or harvest scenes).
- Spiritual/Emotional Resonance: Van Gogh saw Millet as painting "humanity and the ‘something on high’" (a sense of the divine in the everyday), which aligned with his own search for meaning amid personal struggles.
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8
October 1889 L'Homme est en Mer
2014 SOLD for £ 17M by Sotheby's
Vincent Van Gogh is interned in the asylum at Saint-Rémy from May 1889. Between crises of madness, he maintains his ambition of being better than all the other painters.
He copies in his own style the pictures that Theo sends to him. His idea is pedagogic : assembling a wide variety of subjects in order to demonstrate the possibilities of figurative art.
In October, Vincent copies L'homme est en mer by Virginie Demont-Breton. His oil on canvas 66 x 51 cm was sold for £ 17M from a lower estimate of £ 6M Sotheby's on February 5, 2014, lot 39. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Daughter of the peasant painter Jules Breton, Virginie specialized in scenes of marine life. L'homme est en mer shows a languid young woman sitting by the fire with her baby, powerless against the dangers faced by her husband.
Vincent accurately reflects the composition but is not simply a follower of Demont-Breton. The colors are gorgeous, reinforced by the lines typical of his style through which his paintings go beyond the emotional load of impressionists and pointillists.
The outside world is prohibited to the enclosed artist. The parallel between his own distress and the anguish of the woman is probably a psychological reason that guided his choice. The reference to the sea symbolizes both freedom and danger, and the sleeping baby is leading to the future.
He copies in his own style the pictures that Theo sends to him. His idea is pedagogic : assembling a wide variety of subjects in order to demonstrate the possibilities of figurative art.
In October, Vincent copies L'homme est en mer by Virginie Demont-Breton. His oil on canvas 66 x 51 cm was sold for £ 17M from a lower estimate of £ 6M Sotheby's on February 5, 2014, lot 39. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Daughter of the peasant painter Jules Breton, Virginie specialized in scenes of marine life. L'homme est en mer shows a languid young woman sitting by the fire with her baby, powerless against the dangers faced by her husband.
Vincent accurately reflects the composition but is not simply a follower of Demont-Breton. The colors are gorgeous, reinforced by the lines typical of his style through which his paintings go beyond the emotional load of impressionists and pointillists.
The outside world is prohibited to the enclosed artist. The parallel between his own distress and the anguish of the woman is probably a psychological reason that guided his choice. The reference to the sea symbolizes both freedom and danger, and the sleeping baby is leading to the future.
.jpeg)
9
October 1889 Vue de l'Asile
2018 SOLD for $ 40M by Christie's
In July 1889 Vincent van Gogh suffered a relapse of his crises while he was interned in the asylum at Saint-Rémy. Once again he managed to convince the doctors that working was good for his health. He was right but unfortunately temporarily only.
Laboureur dans un champ is a masterpiece of that new phase, composed from memory and from what he could see from the window. This oil on canvas 50 x 65 cm completed in September 2, 1889, was sold for $ 81M on 2017.
Vue de l'asile et de la chapelle Saint-Paul de Mausole à Saint-Rémy, oil on canvas 45 x 60 cm, was painted in mid-October. It was sold twice by Christie's : from the deceased estate of Elizabeth Taylor on February 7, 2012 for £ 10.1M, lot 12, and for $ 40M on May 15, 2018, lot 24 A. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
It is an overview of the buildings of the asylum, in a gentle stylized realism. The swirling textures of the sky and trees open the way to the masterpieces of Auvers, and in the whole lower part of the image the tangle of colors of the field is already foreshadowing the colorists of the next century..
The importance of this view in Vincent's art has been re-evaluated. It appears now as being the only landscape in that fall that Vincent had painted outdoors throughout, under the close surveillance of an attendant.
In his signature line previously used in Laboureur, Vincent offers in this view a much quieter rendering. Feeling that he was on the way to recover, he was happy with his great control of his brushstroke and delighted with the autumnal colors.
Laboureur dans un champ is a masterpiece of that new phase, composed from memory and from what he could see from the window. This oil on canvas 50 x 65 cm completed in September 2, 1889, was sold for $ 81M on 2017.
Vue de l'asile et de la chapelle Saint-Paul de Mausole à Saint-Rémy, oil on canvas 45 x 60 cm, was painted in mid-October. It was sold twice by Christie's : from the deceased estate of Elizabeth Taylor on February 7, 2012 for £ 10.1M, lot 12, and for $ 40M on May 15, 2018, lot 24 A. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
It is an overview of the buildings of the asylum, in a gentle stylized realism. The swirling textures of the sky and trees open the way to the masterpieces of Auvers, and in the whole lower part of the image the tangle of colors of the field is already foreshadowing the colorists of the next century..
The importance of this view in Vincent's art has been re-evaluated. It appears now as being the only landscape in that fall that Vincent had painted outdoors throughout, under the close surveillance of an attendant.
In his signature line previously used in Laboureur, Vincent offers in this view a much quieter rendering. Feeling that he was on the way to recover, he was happy with his great control of his brushstroke and delighted with the autumnal colors.
10
October 1889 Arbres
2019 SOLD for $ 40M by Christie's
The arrival of Vincent van Gogh in Provence marks the beginning of a creative frenzy that is interrupted only by his fits of dementia. He still and ever seeks to vary his themes and styles to become the best artist in the world.
La Nuit étoilée, oil on canvas painted in June 1889 at the asylum of St-Rémy, is unprecedented in the history of art. Vincent first wanted to paint the colors of the night. In order for them to be clearly visible, he oversized the Moon and the stars which have become swirls of colors.
La Nuit étoilée is also a landscape with the village of St-Rémy and the Alpilles. It is dominated in the foreground by an isolated floating tree, disproportionate and asymmetrical. With its longevity and its evergreen leaves, the cypress is the symbol of eternal life and the tree of the graveyards.
In October 1889 nature offers a satisfaction to Vincent : that autumn is superb. The artist paints the colors of the garden. With a texture of violent lines, the brushstroke has integrated the style of the Starry Night. In the foreground two or three thin trunks twist. The only vertical reference in this unbalanced universe is the tall cypress, in the distance, with the same asymmetry as the tree of the Starry Night.
Painted in vibrant colors, Arbres dans le Jardin de l'Asile, oil on canvas 42 x 34 cm, was sold as lot 15A for $ 40M by Christie's on May 13, 2019. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
A view in St. Paul's Hospital Garden, oil on canvas 67 x 52 cm, was sold for £ 9M by Christie's on June 23, 2010, lot 17. It was painted in October 1889 is in the same style and theme as the example above.
La Nuit étoilée, oil on canvas painted in June 1889 at the asylum of St-Rémy, is unprecedented in the history of art. Vincent first wanted to paint the colors of the night. In order for them to be clearly visible, he oversized the Moon and the stars which have become swirls of colors.
La Nuit étoilée is also a landscape with the village of St-Rémy and the Alpilles. It is dominated in the foreground by an isolated floating tree, disproportionate and asymmetrical. With its longevity and its evergreen leaves, the cypress is the symbol of eternal life and the tree of the graveyards.
In October 1889 nature offers a satisfaction to Vincent : that autumn is superb. The artist paints the colors of the garden. With a texture of violent lines, the brushstroke has integrated the style of the Starry Night. In the foreground two or three thin trunks twist. The only vertical reference in this unbalanced universe is the tall cypress, in the distance, with the same asymmetry as the tree of the Starry Night.
Painted in vibrant colors, Arbres dans le Jardin de l'Asile, oil on canvas 42 x 34 cm, was sold as lot 15A for $ 40M by Christie's on May 13, 2019. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
A view in St. Paul's Hospital Garden, oil on canvas 67 x 52 cm, was sold for £ 9M by Christie's on June 23, 2010, lot 17. It was painted in October 1889 is in the same style and theme as the example above.
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11
October 1889 Cabanes de Bois
2021 SOLD for $ 71M by Christie's
The marvelous autumn in Provence enables Vincent to restart his communion with nature. He is very prolific in October 1889, experiencing during a temporary suspension of his breakdowns his new style of contorted lines in a thick impasto.
Indeed Cabanes de bois parmi les oliviers et cyprès is an opposition between the quietness of the rural scenery and the furious desire of the artist to survive while he is still a resident in the asylum at Saint-Rémy.
The composition is simple, centered on the group of two huts. The expression is provided by the mingling of the full range of bright colors of the fall, from the incandescent soil to the purple mountains and the turquoise blue sky though the green and gray foliages, the red roofs and the violet shadows.
Cabanes, oil on canvas 45 x 60 cm, was sold for $ 71M by Christie's on November 11, 2021, lot 4C.
Grok thought :
Quote
Olga Tuleninova @olgatuleninova Jan 23
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) - Cabanes de bois parmi les oliviers et cyprès (Wooden Huts among Olive and Cypress Trees) octobre1889 huile sur toile (45.5 x 60.3 cm) (the source of Christie's)
Indeed Cabanes de bois parmi les oliviers et cyprès is an opposition between the quietness of the rural scenery and the furious desire of the artist to survive while he is still a resident in the asylum at Saint-Rémy.
The composition is simple, centered on the group of two huts. The expression is provided by the mingling of the full range of bright colors of the fall, from the incandescent soil to the purple mountains and the turquoise blue sky though the green and gray foliages, the red roofs and the violet shadows.
Cabanes, oil on canvas 45 x 60 cm, was sold for $ 71M by Christie's on November 11, 2021, lot 4C.
Grok thought :
Quote
Olga Tuleninova @olgatuleninova Jan 23
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) - Cabanes de bois parmi les oliviers et cyprès (Wooden Huts among Olive and Cypress Trees) octobre1889 huile sur toile (45.5 x 60.3 cm) (the source of Christie's)
- This post features Vincent van Gogh's 1889 oil painting "Cabanes de bois parmi les oliviers et cyprès," capturing a serene Provençal landscape from his Saint-Rémy asylum period, where olive trees symbolized renewal amid his mental health struggles.
- The work, measuring 45.5 x 60.3 cm, fetched $71.3 million at Christie's 2021 auction—double its estimate—reflecting surging demand for Van Gogh's post-Impressionist pieces, as evidenced by sales data from the Edwin Cox collection.
Christie's is honored to announce The Cox Collection: The Story of Impressionism, one of the greatest American collections to ever appear in the auction market, featuring masterpieces by Caillebotte, Cézanne and Van Gogh. https://t.co/mbwxiH4FIc pic.twitter.com/D3w0IP4gyU
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) July 29, 2021
12
November 1889 Champs près des Alpilles
2022 SOLD for $ 52M by Christie's
In November 1889, Vincent is treated for six months in the Saint-Rémy hospital. The leaves of the superb autumn have fallen from the trees but the confined artist is still excited by the purity of the air in the Provençal countryside.
His art was definitely not a copy of the nature but an emotional interpretation through carefully selected colors which he felt instrumental to his survival. A viral form of modern art was being developed in that asylum by that mentally disabled man in the time span of a few months.
Champs près des Alpilles is a winter landscape view taken from outside the entrance of the asylum. It displays the lilac rocky scenery of the Alpilles hills behind a winter field centered by a single leafless almond tree, tentatively an expression of the artist's loneliness unless it is a mere copy from a print by Hokusai.
Vincent presented this painting as an adieu to his former neighbor in Arles and supporting friend the facteur Roulin. At that time he was hoping to leave Provence. He reported that gift to his brother Theo in January 1890.
This oil on canvas 46 x 55 cm was sold for $ 52M by Christie's on May 12, 2022, lot 23C.
Grok thought :
Quote
Wall Power @artmarket Feb 25, 2022
Following last November’s blow-out sale of works by Vincent van Gogh ($160 million in only four works by the artist were sold in the New York sales), Christie’s has announced a $45m landscape for the May sales. @ChristiesInc https://liveart.io/blogs/news/christies-reveals-45m-van-gogh-for-may…
His art was definitely not a copy of the nature but an emotional interpretation through carefully selected colors which he felt instrumental to his survival. A viral form of modern art was being developed in that asylum by that mentally disabled man in the time span of a few months.
Champs près des Alpilles is a winter landscape view taken from outside the entrance of the asylum. It displays the lilac rocky scenery of the Alpilles hills behind a winter field centered by a single leafless almond tree, tentatively an expression of the artist's loneliness unless it is a mere copy from a print by Hokusai.
Vincent presented this painting as an adieu to his former neighbor in Arles and supporting friend the facteur Roulin. At that time he was hoping to leave Provence. He reported that gift to his brother Theo in January 1890.
This oil on canvas 46 x 55 cm was sold for $ 52M by Christie's on May 12, 2022, lot 23C.
Grok thought :
Quote
Wall Power @artmarket Feb 25, 2022
Following last November’s blow-out sale of works by Vincent van Gogh ($160 million in only four works by the artist were sold in the New York sales), Christie’s has announced a $45m landscape for the May sales. @ChristiesInc https://liveart.io/blogs/news/christies-reveals-45m-van-gogh-for-may…
- This February 2022 post announces Christie's upcoming May auction of Vincent van Gogh's 1889 landscape "Champs près des Alpilles," estimated at $45 million, capitalizing on the artist's prior $160 million haul across four New York sales in November 2021.
- Painted during Van Gogh's Saint-Rémy asylum stay, the work captures the rugged Alpilles mountains in Provence with his signature swirling brushstrokes and vibrant greens, once owned by fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent before entering the Anne H. Bass collection.
- The painting sold for $51.9 million to an anonymous phone bidder, surpassing estimates and contributing to Christie's $831 million 20th-century evening sale total, reflecting a surging post-pandemic appetite for Impressionist masterpieces.
Following last November’s blow-out sale of works by Vincent van Gogh ($160 million in only four works by the artist were sold in the New York sales), Christie’s has announced a $45m landscape for the May sales.@ChristiesInc https://t.co/s8CwnKCNV5 pic.twitter.com/MNOLoLgONK
— LiveArt (@artmarket) February 25, 2022
