van Gogh: more than sunflowers...

Rethinking Vincent van Gogh

I was thinking about spring and the amazing flowers that bloom in the warming weather, coloring the landscapes of backyards and parks.  *sigh*

I live in Chicago and the palette, right now, is less than colorful.

So, I decided to do some "Googling" and find some inspiration of paintings of flowers to brighten this dreary afternoon.  

I found lots!  No surprise. 

 The still life, of vases with flowers, has a strong history within the art timeline and provide amazing examples of the lineage of art movements.  

Bowl with Peonies and Roses, 1886

In the scanning and skimming process, many images were of the infamous "Sunflowers" by Vincent van Gogh.  This, also, is quite common with such a search, but I gravitated towards a painting of peonies and roses.  One of my most favorite flowers is the poofy, full, luscious peony.  The small Google image was not very clear, and as I clicked on the image, I saw it....."Vincent".

I thought to myself, "Wow" and "Wait a minute".

and "Why?"

Oleanders and Books, 1888

Why do most, meaning all, books I have about Vincent for my classroom only talk about his "Sunflowers"?  Why do so many other paintings go unnoticed or are not given the attention they deserve.

Vase with Red Poppies, 1886

I, too, am guilty of the "sunflower" painting.  Just recently, I was trying to come up something different for the "van Gogh" unit. 

All signs pointed in one direction, "A Vase with Sunflowers" (of various numbers).  

Vase with Zinnias and Other Flowers, 1886

Now, I have a fresh perspective and appreciation for our dear Vincent.  Perhaps he was also looking for some color on some dreary days.  

And now, I feel compelled to write a children's book about the many beautiful vases of flowers from Vincent van Gogh.

Vase with Asters and Phlox, 1886

Still Life - Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers, 1888

Want to paint a vase of flowers?  Click here:)

xoxo, SMocK you.