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Painting story
Portrait of Patience Escalier by Vincent van Gogh
An old shepherd from the Camargue in a straw hat, set against a furnace of orange: Van Gogh’s portrait of Patience Escalier, August 1888.
Painting Stories
The meaning and history of famous paintings: what they show, where the originals hang, and how each one is recreated by hand in oil on canvas.
Painting Analysis articles
Painting story
The Yellow House by Vincent van Gogh
Van Gogh’s house on the Place Lamartine in Arles, yellow in the sun under a deep blue sky, where he hoped to found a studio of the South.
Painting story
Fishing Boats on the Beach at Saintes-Maries by Vincent van Gogh
Colourful boats on the sand at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, drawn on Van Gogh’s first visit to the Mediterranean in June 1888.
Painting story
The Potato Eaters by Vincent van Gogh
Five peasants share potatoes under a single lamp: Van Gogh’s first ambitious picture, painted in Nuenen in 1885, in dark, earthy colours.
Painting story
Olive Trees by Vincent van Gogh
Twisted olive trees below the Alpilles and a swirling white cloud, painted at Saint-Rémy in June 1889, the month of The Starry Night.
Painting story
The Sower by Vincent van Gogh
A huge sun, ripe wheat and a sower borrowed from Millet: Van Gogh’s June 1888 canvas from Arles, built on violet and yellow.
Painting story
Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh
Van Gogh’s June 1890 portrait of the doctor who watched over him in Auvers: head on hand, foxglove and two yellow novels.
Painting story
Irises by Vincent van Gogh
Painted in Van Gogh’s first days at the Saint-Rémy asylum in May 1889: a close view of blue irises, with one white flower among them.
Painting story
Wheat Field with Crows by Vincent van Gogh
A storm-dark sky, ripe wheat, three unfinished paths and a flock of crows, painted at Auvers in July 1890. Probably not his last painting.
Painting story
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh
The Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear shows Van Gogh in a fur cap and green coat, his head bandaged, in front of a Japanese print and an easel with…
Painting story
Almond Blossom by Vincent van Gogh
Painted in February 1890 for Theo and Jo’s newborn son: white almond blossom against a blue sky, seen from beneath the branches.
Painting story
Café Terrace at Night by Van Gogh
Café Terrace at Night shows the gas-lit terrace of a café on the Place du Forum in Arles under a sky full of stars, painted on the spot in…
Painting story
The Night Café by Van Gogh
The Night Café shows the all-night Café de la Gare in Arles just after midnight, painted on the spot over three nights in September 1888. Van Gogh…
Painting story
Wheatfield with Partridges by Vincent van Gogh
A partridge rises from green wheat bending in the wind: Van Gogh’s Paris summer of 1887, when his colours became light.
Painting story
The Bedroom by Vincent van Gogh
Van Gogh’s own room in the Yellow House, painted in October 1888 to suggest rest, with colours he listed one by one in a letter to Theo.
Painting story
Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh
Fifteen sunflowers in a yellow vase on a yellow wall, painted in August 1888 to decorate Gauguin’s room in the Yellow House.
Painting story
Impression, Sunrise by Monet
Explore Monet’s Impression, Sunrise with detail crops, its 1874 naming story and comparisons with Turner’s sunsets and Jongkind’s Overschie.
Painting story
The Starry Night by Van Gogh
The Starry Night shows the night sky over Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, a spiral of wind and eleven haloed stars above a village and a flame-shaped…
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Curated collectionsOdyssey, Magic and Witchcraft, Famous Women, Landscapes and more.Artists A to ZEvery painter in the catalogue, with an archive of their works.Art movementsRenaissance to Expressionism: what defines each and who led it.Top 100 most famous paintingsThe ranked list, with the story behind every entry.
