One of Vincent van Gogh’s iconic Sunflowers paintings from Arles, France, will soon journey outside the United States for the first time since its 1935 acquisition. This momentous occasion offers a rare opportunity to witness one of Van Gogh's cherished ideas for a decorative arrangement come to life.
Currently housed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, this masterpiece will be part of the National Gallery's highly anticipated exhibition, Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers, running from September 14, 2024, to January 19, 2025. Visitors will have the unique chance to see this painting alongside the National Gallery’s own Sunflowers for the first time since they were last together in Van Gogh's studio in early 1889.
A Reunion of Sunflowers
The Philadelphia Sunflowers was initially left with Van Gogh's friends, Mr. and Mrs. Ginoux, in Arles. It was later purchased by Mr. Carroll Tyson of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, in 1935 before being acquired by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1963. The London Sunflowers was sent to Van Gogh’s brother Theo in May 1889 and remained in the family until the National Gallery purchased it in 1924. These two masterpieces have never been exhibited together, making this reunion a historic event.
Painted in August 1888, the National Gallery's version of Sunflowers is complemented by the Philadelphia painting, created in January 1889. This pairing reaffirms Van Gogh’s enduring fascination with these vibrant still lifes.
A Symbolic Centerpiece
The two paintings will flank La Berceuse (1889), a symbolic portrait of a woman with a cradle cord, on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This arrangement resonates with Van Gogh’s visionary ambition, vividly articulated in a letter to his brother Theo in May 1889, where he envisioned these works harmoniously displayed side by side.
While in Arles, Van Gogh painted several portraits of Augustine Roulin, reinterpreting her image with bold colours against highly stylised floral backgrounds. The rope in her hands suggests a cradle beyond the frame, with the title La Berceuse translating to "lullaby" or "she who rocks the cradle." Van Gogh envisioned this painting as providing comfort to isolated fishermen, reminding them of their own lullabies.
This exhibition is the first of its kind at the National Gallery, focusing on Van Gogh’s imaginative transformations, featuring over 50 works from museums and private collections worldwide. Notable loans include pieces from the Kröller-Müller Museum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Musée d’Orsay.
The exhibition will delve into Van Gogh’s time in Arles and Saint-Rémy (1888-1890), showcasing how he turned his encounters into idealised artistic spaces. It highlights the importance of portraits, assigning symbolic meaning to his models, and explores themes of love and poetic imagination. Visitors will discover how Van Gogh designated public parks and gardens as spaces for poets and lovers, painting some of his most glorious works inspired by these ideas.
The exhibition also contrasts Van Gogh’s euphoric exploration of the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole hospital garden with his later, more sombre works depicting the same location. It reveals how Van Gogh’s paintings on themes like the Poet’s Garden, Sunflowers, and the Poet and the Lover were part of a larger decorative scheme intended for exhibition in Paris.
In addition to the many loans, the exhibition features significant works from the National Gallery’s collection, including Wheatfield with Cypresses (1889) and Long Grass with Butterflies (1890). These paintings are integral to understanding Van Gogh's development during this pivotal period.
Dr. Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery, says: "This is the first exhibition devoted to Van Gogh ever held at the National Gallery. It marks two centuries of the Gallery’s existence and one since its acquisition of Sunflowers. Museums and collectors have been astoundingly generous in lending great paintings to this show."
For more information and tickets, visit HERE
Words by Jheanelle Feanny
Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers
14 September 2024 - 19 January 2025
The National Gallery
Rooms 1-8
Admission charge
Members go free (Members View: Friday 13 September 2024)
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