STILL LIFE VASE WITH FIFTEEN FLOWERS

Van Gogh is renowned for his famous "Sunflowers". The work represents all phases of the sunflowers life, from full, healthy blooms to wilting and finally dying - like all living things. What many people don't realize is that Van Gogh painted several versions of sunflowers in the late 1880s. His first paintings of sunflowers were done for the home of his friend Paul Gauguin. Shown here is "Still Life Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers", produced in 1888. In other versions there were varying quantities of sunflowers (specific examples: three, four, five twelve, and fourteen). There were also versions of loose sunflower cuttings.