IRISES BY VINCENT VAN GOGH

Irises is an oil on canvas painting by the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. The painting was completed in 1889, the last year before Vincent died. Van Gogh did the painting during his stay at the asylum at Saint Paul-de-Mausole in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France. Irises was one of the first paintings Vincent did there.

Vincent called the painting "the lightning conductor for my illness". Vincent had felt that by continuing to paint, he could keep himself from going insane.

When one looks at the irises in the painting, you can notice how unique each one is. They all have their own unique movement and shape. Van Gogh had actually painted the the irises that were growing in the hospital grounds.

His brother Theo submitted Irises to the annual exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants in September 1889. Theo wrote to Vincent, "It strikes the eye from afar. The Irises are a beautiful study full of air and life." The first owner of Irises was French art critic, Octave Mirbeau, who paid 300 francs for it. In 1987, Irises sold for 53.9 million dollars. It was the highest amount of money ever paid for a painting at that time. Irises was later re-sold in 1990 to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles for an undisclosed amount.


Irises, Saint-Remy, c.1889
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Vincent Gogh