Vincent Van Gogh, Irises

   It has been a while since we looked at a still life so this week we have a personal favorite. We have a reasonably simple  subject: flowers and vase on a plain background and base, but master painter, Vincent Van Gogh )1853-1890) worked his magic with it!

  When I first see an image like this I often ask myself, "how much of this arrangement did the artist see and paint just as is, or, how much was arranged?" Here I think we can be pretty sure Van Gogh composed this image in front of him before he painted it.  Why?  Because  of the strength of his design.  Long floral leaves create a strong V shape, triangle pointing straight down to the center of the painting, but slightly left of the vase base.  The plain, circular vase balances the huge diagonal line created by the fallen stems.  And, wedged between all of this is a mass of iris flowers.

Believe me, when making a decision to paint a bouquet of flowers in a vase, irises would be the last I would chose because they are so complex.  But Van Gogh created several iris paintings, and usually using an almost complementary color harmony as he did here:  yellow-orange and blue-green.  And, here the colors are vibrant and alive.  The background demands our attention.  The blues are bright and clear and the darks create the necessary value range. And, notice how they are often used as an outline for flowers and leaves.  

   Much is made of Van Gogh's painting style and life, mostly because of his physical and mental illnesses.  This painting was done shortly before he took his life in 1890, and yet, I believe it shows that even then, he must of had days that were relatively good.  Certainly the fallen flowers on our right could be interpreted as some kind of message, but I believe the composition is to strong and the image to beautiful to make that connection.

   This painting is titled Irises, sometimes Irises with Yellow Background.  It was painted around May, 1890 and is an oil on canvas.  It measures 36 inches high, 28.9 inches wide.  It is part of the permanent collection of the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.   

Make Art a part of your life, it's a beautiful thing to do.

   

Comments

  1. Char HarguthAugust 31, 2020 at 8:00 AM

    I cannot look at Van Gogh's work with out thinking of his tormented life and realize that while it didn't limit his talent, it must have influenced all his work. I think a full bouquet of flowers in difficult to paint, but he masters it with values and composition. If the fallen flowers are symbolic, the blossoms are not dead, but alive and vibrant!! His curving strokes always contribute to the painting, whether in the background or in the vase. Lovely painting. One of my favorites too.

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