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Roses

Original title: Roses

Artist

Vincent van Gogh

Date

1890

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

36 5/8 x 29 1/8 in. (93 x 74 cm)

Credit line

The Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Collection, Gift of Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg, 1993, Bequest of Walter H. Annenberg, 2002

kurzbeschreibung

A green vase holding white roses at various stages of bloom forms the focus of this 1890 floral still life by Vincent van Gogh. Surrounded by green leaves and stems, the vase rises against a solid green background. Painted in oil on canvas, the picture displays van Gogh's characteristic impasto technique.

Description

A green vase filled with white roses in different stages of bloom dominates the picture space. Strong green leaves and stems surround the blossoms and structure the arrangement. The background is a uniform green field that echoes the tones of the vase and foliage, creating a cohesive color effect. Along the bottom edge, a few petals lie on the ground, lending the still life a natural, slightly ephemeral note. The brushstrokes are clearly visible, giving the surface a lively texture, while the light falls evenly and produces hardly any shadows.

Context

Van Gogh painted this picture in 1890, during his last year of life, while staying at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. There he often turned to floral still lifes, which served him as a calm subject and a means of artistic expression. The white roses may have been inspired by the flowers in the clinic's garden, to which van Gogh had access. Influences from Japanese art and color theory appear in the emphasized color harmony and the flat treatment of the background.

Impact

The luminous green and pure white create a fresh, calm mood that is enlivened by the visible brushstrokes. The restriction to a few colors and the flat background have a soothing effect and draw the eye to the subtle gradations of the blossoms. The impasto surface gives the painting a tactile quality that pulls the viewer into the painterly event.

Technique

For this work, van Gogh used oil paint on canvas, applied in thick, impasto layers. The visible brushstrokes are characteristic of his late style and create a relief-like surface. The palette is limited to greens and white, with the complementary contrast of green and red (through the petals) subtly hinted at.

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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)