Imperial Fritillaries in a Copper Vase

Vincent van Gogh

Imperial Fritillaries in a Copper Vase

1887

This floral study shows typical elements of Van Gogh’s style which would be fully realised in perhaps his most famous painting, Sunflowers. The yellow and orange blooms of the Imperial Fritillaries, stand out against the deep blue background and against the brown-tones of the copper vase and abstracted surface on which the still life sits. In a letter to his friend Hornce Mann Livens, Van Gogh described his mission to “render intense colour and not a grey harmony” which accurately summarises his penchant for contrasting, vivid colours. This piece was created during Van Gogh’s first encounters with the Impressionist group in Paris and the influence shines through. The dabs of colour in the background in yellow, green, blues, and purple are built up to create an overall blue tone which recreates natural light – key elements of Impressionist artwork. This is one of the few paintings that Van Gogh signed (only 130 out of his 900+ works), suggesting that it was designed for sale, and a completed work with which the artist was satisfied.