Sunflowers (Repetition Of The Fourth Version), 1889 - Canvas Print

Vincent Van Gogh's 1889 "Sunflowers" has become one of the most recognizable paintings in the history of art. Yet, as with many of Van Gogh's works, the artist never imagined the piece would reach any audience at all, let alone a global one. Intended as a purely decorative piece to adorn his walls in Provence, "Sunflowers" would certainly have been an unusual choice of interior décor for an artist desperately trying to alleviate his own mental sufferings. These shards of decaying life are stunningly jagged fusions of color and geometric precision. Inspired by the woodblock prints of the Japonism style, Van Gogh painted the expression of the sullen vase full of flowers. The effect of capturing the effects of light upon the surface of the tall flowers that so idiosyncratically reach towards the sky as the sun traverses the day, leaves a poignant and sullen effect. The artist originally planned to create a series of twelve sunflower paintings in blues and yellows, but ended up creating only four. As the series progresses the flowers wilt and the leaves shrivel, running in parallel with the rapidly deteriorating condition of the artist's own mental wellbeing. In a letter to his brother he compared the effort he was undertaking in capturing the flowers to that of the creation of stained-glass windows. The devotional and religious tinge in the painting is indeed there for all to see. Coinciding with a period of hope and enthusiasm, Van Gogh began painting the series in anticipation of a visit from his friend and fellow artist Paul Gauguin. Tragically, the outcome of the visit was a major argument and Van Gogh's self-mutilation of his ear, which led to his eventual and final decline.