Thu Sep 12 06:37:00 UTC 2024: ## Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” Shine in New London Exhibit
**London, UK -** The National Gallery in London is celebrating the centennial of its famed “Sunflowers” painting with a groundbreaking exhibition featuring three of Van Gogh’s masterpieces displayed side-by-side for the first time.
The exhibit, titled “Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers”, showcases the Dutch artist’s prolific output during his two-year sojourn in the south of France. This period, between 1888 and 1890, saw Van Gogh’s artistic vision blossom, marked by an unparalleled boldness and inventiveness, according to exhibition co-curator Christopher Riopelle.
“His art takes on a new amplitude, a new inventiveness,” Riopelle said, highlighting the emergence of “new freedom, new rhythms” in Van Gogh’s work.
The exhibition features over 50 paintings and drawings, many of them renowned masterpieces like “Starry Night”, alongside works never before seen by the public.
The centerpiece is a unique triptych: two “Sunflowers” paintings, one from the National Gallery’s permanent collection and another on loan from the Washington Museum, flank “The Lullaby”, a depiction of a woman in an armchair. This arrangement, conceived by Van Gogh himself, was intended to evoke a sense of comfort and solace, as revealed in letters to his brother Theo.
“He had this wonderful idea that he should flank a ‘Sunflowers’ with a yellow background, with a ‘Sunflowers’ with a blue background. And in the middle, he should have ‘La Berceuse’, and that the three pictures together would comfort sailors at sea,” explained Riopelle.
The exhibition emphasizes Van Gogh’s deep connection to nature and the landscapes of the south of France, showcasing his series of olive trees, mountain vistas, and depictions of the gardens at the psychiatric institution where he stayed.
Co-curator Cornelia Homburg emphasized the importance of understanding Van Gogh’s artistic ambitions: “He saw this productive period in southern France as a chance to make a mark.”
“He was not just a person tormented and suffering all of that,” concludes Riopelle, “He was a person deeply committed to the beauty of nature, deeply committed to friends and family, and deeply committed to establishing a career as an Avant-Garde artist.”
The “Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers” exhibition is a must-see for art lovers, offering a unique glimpse into the vibrant and passionate world of Vincent Van Gogh.
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