Vincent Van Gogh, a native of the state of the Netherlands, is one of the most famous artists in the world. Thanks to the talent of the post-impressionist, a huge amount of incredible beauty of works was created. The most famous paintings by Van Gogh are now considered his "calling card."
However, not all of them were so widely known during the life of the artist, as in our time. Only after the death of Van Gogh, his works were noticed by critics, and only then - appreciated. The collection of his paintings contains many priceless paintings, when viewed from a cultural point of view.
10. Flowering almond branches | 1890 year
“Flowering Almond Branches” (1890). At the beginning of 1890, Theo, the brother of Van Gogh, had a son, who was named after the artist - also Vincent. Van Gogh became very attached to the child and once wrote in a letter to his sister-in-law Joe: "He always looks with great interest at the canvases of Uncle Vincent." This painting was painted by Van Gogh as a birthday present for his nephew. The artist himself was an admirer of Japanese art, especially the genre of engraving Ukiyo-e. The influence of this branch of Japanese painting can be seen in this, one of Van Gogh's most famous paintings, which was highly praised by critics.
9. Wheat field with cypress | 1889 year
"Wheat field with cypresses" (1889). “A wheat field with cypresses” is one of the three famous paintings by Van Gogh, which are similar in composition. The above picture is the first of three and was completed in July 1889. The artist himself loved cypresses and wheat fields and spent a lot of time enjoying their beauty. He regarded this canvas as one of his best landscape paintings and, therefore, created two more similar works. This work takes pride of place in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is located in New York.
8. Bedroom in Arles | 1888 year
"Bedroom in Arles" (1888). This famous canvas by Van Gogh is the first version of the next three similar paintings, which refer to it and are called much more simply - “The Bedroom”. The decision to write this picture was made by the artist after a trip to the city of Arles, and the subsequent move there. Van Gogh corresponded with his brother Theo and friend Paul Gauguin. He often sent them sketches of his future paintings, as he did with the painting "Bedroom in Arles." However, together with the planned one painting, during 1888 - 1889 three variants were created. This series of paintings is distinguished by the fact that it depicts other works of the artist inside the canvas itself, such as: self-portrait, portraits of friends and Japanese prints.
7. Potato Eaters | 1885 year
"Potato Eaters" (1885). This work was Van Gogh's first recognizable work. His goal at the time of painting was to portray the peasants most realistically. Before the world saw the final version of the canvas, the artist created many sketches and sketches. Critics noted the simple interior, which Van Gogh skillfully conveyed through the canvas, which contains only the necessary furniture. A lamp is dimly giving off above the table, highlighting the tired, simple faces of the peasants.
6. Self-portrait with a bandaged ear | 1889 year
"Self-portrait with a bandaged ear" (1889). Vincent Van Gogh became famous for his self-portraits. Throughout his life he wrote more than 30. This canvas has its own story. Once Van Gogh had a quarrel with one outstanding artist of that time - Paul Gauguin, after which the first got rid of part of his left ear, namely, cut off the lobe with an ordinary razor. This canvas is one of the artist’s most famous self-portraits. After an unpleasant incident with Gauguin, he wrote another self-portrait. Critics believe that this picture plausibly describes the artist’s facial features, as he painted it while sitting opposite the mirror.
5. Night terrace cafe | 1888 year
"Night terrace cafe" (1888). On this canvas, Van Gogh depicted the terrace of a cafe on Forum Square in Arles, France. Thanks to the recognition of this picture, which has become widely known throughout the world, the terrace, which is located in the northeast corner of the square, attracts more and more tourists every day. This work was the first in which the artist depicted the starry sky. The Café Night Terrace remains one of Van Gogh's most analyzed and discussed paintings. Interestingly, one of the cafes in Croatia copied the design from the artist’s paintings.
4. Porter Dr. Gachet
"Porter Dr. Gachet" (1890) Paul Ferdinand Gachet was a French physician who was involved in the treatment of the artist during the last months of his life. This portrait is one of Van Gogh's most famous paintings. However, there are two versions of the portrait, and this is the first version. In May 1990, this canvas was transferred under the hammer for 82 million US dollars, and thereby became the most expensive painting that has ever been sold. To date, this remains the highest price for a work of art at a public auction.
3. Irises | 1889 year
"Irises" (1889). Among the most recognizable works of Van Gogh, this canvas is the most famous. It was written by Van Gogh a year before his death, and the artist himself defined it as "a lightning rod for my illness." He believed that this canvas was his hope not to go crazy. The artist’s canvas depicts a field, part of it, strewn with flowers. Among the irises, there are other flowers, but it is the irises that occupy the central part of the picture. In September 1987, the Irises were sold for 53.9 million US dollars. At that time, it was the highest price for which not a single painting had yet been sold. Today, the canvas takes 15th place in the list of the most expensive works.
2. Sunflowers | 1887 year
"Sunflowers" (1888). Vincent Van Gogh is considered a master of still lifes and his series of paintings with sunflowers is considered the most famous among still lifes ever created. The works are known and remembered for depicting the natural beauty of plants and their vibrant colors. One of the paintings, “A Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers,” was sold to one of the Japanese investors for almost $ 40 million in March 1987. Two years later, this record was transferred to Iris.
1. Starry night | 1889 year
"Starlight Night" (1889). This masterpiece was written by Van Gogh from memory. It depicts a view from the window of the artist's sanatorium, which is located in Saint-Remy de Provence in France. The work also shows Vincent's interest in astronomy, and a study conducted by one of the observatories showed that Van Gogh presented the Moon, Venus and several stars in the exact position that they occupied on that clear night, which was imprinted in the artist's memory. The canvas is considered one of the greatest works in Western art and, of course, is the most famous work of Vincent Van Gogh.