Oleanders, 1888
Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890)
Oil on canvas; 23 3/4 x 29 in. (60.3 x 73.7 cm)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Loeb, 1962 (62.24)
Technical Glossary
Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890)
Oil on canvas; 23 3/4 x 29 in. (60.3 x 73.7 cm)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Loeb, 1962 (62.24)
For Van Gogh, oleanders were joyous, life-affirming flowers that bloomed "riotously" and were "continually renewing" themselves. In this painting of August 1888, the flowers fill a majolica jug that the artist used for other Arles still lifes. They are symbolically juxtaposed to Émile Zola's La joie de vivre, a novel that Van Gogh had earlier placed in contrast to an open Bible in a Nuenen still life of 1885.
Open full-size image
Related Index Terms
Art Movement/Style
Artist
Material and Technique
Subject Matter/Theme
- • Literature and Literary Connections
- • Literature and Literary Connections, French Literature
- • Still Life
