This vibrant painting depicts a well chosen arrangement of flowers, each well observed from life and painted with great care and attention to detail. The use of yellow in the background effectively makes the blue of the irises ‘pop’, with the single white flower eventually attracting the eye to settle and giving the composition focus and an almost narrative movement. The use of dark outline and bright colours gives the impression of a stained glass window.
This is a good example of Van Gogh’s ongoing process of liberating colour from its duty of form by using strong outlines. Although the brush work is controlled and relatively smooth, the Van Gogh energy remains very evident. This painting sold at auction in 1987 for £25.5 million, the bidding started at £15 million and lasted less than 2 minutes. At the time, this was the most ever paid for a painting…
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