Irises - Vincent Van Gogh

Recently committed to the asylum of the monastery of Saint-Paul de Mausole in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (May 1889), Vincent Van Gogh chose to paint the flowering irises planted in the institution's garden. He explained that this painting represented the lightning rod for his illness, because he felt that he could avoid going mad by continuing to paint. Color is here the element of freedom for the painter. His subjectivity mixes with reality in order to accentuate the contrasts and to create a pictorial space of intense luminosity. Vase with Irises is another of Van Gogh's paintings of this flower.
The artwork in a nutshell
Recently committed to the asylum of the monastery of Saint-Paul de Mausole in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (May 1889), Vincent Van Gogh chose to paint the flowering irises planted in the institution's garden. He explained that this painting represented the lightning rod for his illness, because he felt that he could avoid going mad by continuing to paint. Color is here the element of freedom for the painter. His subjectivity mixes with reality in order to accentuate the contrasts and to create a pictorial space of intense luminosity. Vase with Irises is another of Van Gogh's paintings of this flower.
Compare with the original
Reproduction of Irises by Vincent Van Gogh

