– This post was written by Mick Murray –
Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) is one of the most well-known figures in art history. Despite a career that was tragically cut short and a lack of recognition during his lifetime, his paintings are now seen as some of the most beautiful works of art ever created.
With Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum recently taking home the ‘Best Museum’ prize as part of the global Remarkable Venue Awards (receiving over 6,000 votes), there’s never been a better time to examine Van Gogh’s work. From starry nights to spectacular sunflowers, here’s a guide to Van Gogh’s most famous paintings and what makes them so special.
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The Starry Night (1889)
What makes this painting famous?
The Starry Night is likely to be at the top of anyone’s list when it comes to naming Van Gogh’s most famous artworks. You’ll find it on posters, novelty socks, tote bags, computer backgrounds, tattooed arms – you name it. You’ll also find it on the walls of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where it acts as one of the museum’s biggest attention-grabbers (which is really saying a lot, considering the amount of other amazing paintings present in MoMA’s collection).
The Starry Night is not just one of Van Gogh’s most popular paintings; it’s one of the most iconic works of art in existence. Its spectacular swirling night sky, filled with expressionist-style spirals, continues to draw a strong emotional response from viewers to this day.
What’s the background story?
While this post is about famous Van Gogh paintings and not a biography of the artist himself, his life can’t be ignored when writing about his art. Van Gogh voluntarily checked himself into the mental asylum at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in 1889, a few months after the infamous episode in which he mutilated his left ear. This painting was based on the view from his window at the asylum.
Some art critics theorize that the painting was created in an agitated state, reflected in the almost hallucinatory nature of the work and potentially backed up by the fact that Van Gogh experienced a second breakdown only a month after The Starry Night was completed.
Despite it now being regarded as one of history’s most valuable artworks, Van Gogh seems to have personally regarded this painting as an unsuccessful experiment. It was only briefly mentioned in a letter to his brother Theo as a “night study”, several months after it was already painted. He later decided not to send the painting over to the Netherlands (stating that he vastly preferred other works), and eventually labelled his masterpiece as a “failure” in a letter to fellow painter Émile Bernard.
Where is The Starry Night?
📍 The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Starry Night Over the Rhône (1888)
What makes this painting famous?
When people refer to ‘Starry Night’, they usually mean the first painting on this list – but they could very well be talking about Starry Night Over the Rhône instead. Similarly striking in its depiction of a night sky (though sporting fewer spirals), this painting gives a slightly more peaceful sensation than its counterpart, but features the classic colour palette Van Gogh would become known for.
What’s the background story?
Van Gogh seems to have been particularly enchanted by the night sky, and the gas lighting visible across the water in Arles. He was excited enough about the painting to include a sketch of it to his friend, the painter Eugène Boch, and the work was publicly exhibited in 1889 at the Société des Artistes Indépendants in Paris.
He also described the painting in almost loving detail in one of the many letters he wrote to his brother Theo, describing it as “…the starry sky painted by night, actually under a gas jet. The sky is aquamarine, the water is royal blue, the ground is mauve. The town is blue and purple. The gas is yellow and the reflections are russet gold descending down to green-bronze. On the aquamarine field of the sky the Great Bear is a sparkling green and pink, whose discreet paleness contrasts with the brutal gold of the gas. Two colorful figurines of lovers in the foreground.”
Where is Starry Night Over the Rhône?
📍 Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
Sunflowers (1888)
What makes these paintings famous?
Sunflowers is not just one painting, but in fact two entire series of multiple paintings of sunflowers. Most of the time, when someone refers to Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’, they’re talking about the series he created while in Arles, consisting of four initial versions and three repetitions on the same idea.
Lesser known are the ‘Paris Sunflowers’, which he created while living with his brother in Paris between 1886 and 1888. Less triumphant and not in full bloom, these sunflowers are nonetheless pretty spectacular to see, and can be found at museums including The Met in New York, the Kröller-Müller Museum, and (of course) the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
What’s the background story?
Van Gogh himself seems to have been absolutely delighted by sunflowers, reflected both in the sheer amount of sunflower-based paintings he created as well as his descriptions in the letters he wrote to his brother and friends.
In 1888, Van Gogh wrote: “I’m painting with the gusto of a Marseillais eating bouillabaisse, which won’t surprise you when it’s a question of painting large sunflowers.” Basically, he loved painting sunflowers, and everyone knew it. In the same letter, he would explain how it was his dream to work in a studio alongside his friend Paul Gauguin, and that he planned to create decorations for the walls consisting of huge sunflower paintings.
It can be guessed that Gauguin himself was likely a fan of sunflowers too – particularly the ones that Van Gogh painted. In 1889, Gauguin ‘claimed’ one of the sunflower paintings in exchange for some of his own work which he left to Van Gogh, to Vincent’s great dismay:
“I am definitely keeping my sunflowers in question. He has two of them already, let that hold him. And if he is not satisfied with the exchange he has made with me, he can take back his little Martinique canvas, and his self-portrait he sent to me from Brittany, at the same time giving me back both my portrait and the two sunflower canvases which he has taken to Paris. So if he ever broaches this subject again, I’ve told you just how matters stand.”
Where are Van Gogh’s Sunflowers?
You can find Van Gogh’s famous sunflower paintings at locations around the world: The Met in New York, The Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Museum of Fine Arts in Bern, the National Gallery in London, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Sompo Japan Museum of Art in Tokyo, and the Neue Pinakothek in Munich.
Self Portrait (1889)
What makes this painting famous?
This is often believed to be Van Gogh’s final self-portrait, as well as his most iconic depiction on a canvas. While critics are divided on whether this or Self-Portrait Without Beard is his last ever painting of himself, there’s little argument as to which painting is more famous. It features similar hallucinatory swirling patterns to The Starry Night, and indicates a general sense of turbulence and pressure. When people think of Van Gogh, this is the man they think of: an intense, brooding character full of expression and emotional turmoil.
What’s the background story?
Van Gogh often painted pictures of himself. There are various reasons that might come to mind (pure artistic vanity, or wanting to document his physical and mental changes), but there’s another one that isn’t often brought up: he simply didn’t have the money to pay for models to sit down for hours at a time. While Van Gogh didn’t live in abject poverty – a myth that is often repeated – managing money was a struggle.
His correspondence with his brother reveals a reliance on his monthly allowance from Theo, which never seemed to be quite enough to match Vincent’s ambitions. Art supplies were expensive back then, as they are now, and hiring a model may have been one step too far for someone who was inspired primarily by nature.
More than anything, the story behind this painting follows Van Gogh’s own journey, particularly as it relates to his mental health. While in a letter to his brother (discussing this self-portrait) he insists that he’s in a better place now, in retrospect it’s painfully obvious to see that all was not well.
“I hope you will notice that my facial expressions have become much calmer, although my eyes have the same insecure look as before, or so it appears to me.”
Where is it?
📍 Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
The Potato Eaters (1885)
What makes this painting famous?
It doesn’t have the colourful star power found in some of his later work, but The Potato Eaters is still considered one of the most famous Van Gogh paintings. Created in 1885, slightly before the other paintings featured so far, this painting reveals the artist’s Dutch roots.
Influenced heavily by artists from the Hague School (most notably Jozef Israëls), Van Gogh sought to depict the realities of peasant life as it really was: coarse, sometimes ugly, but also with an authenticity and fondness found in the familial setting.
What’s the background story?
Van Gogh loved this painting. Two years after finishing it, he wrote a letter to his sister claiming that ‘’… the painting of the peasants eating potatoes that I did in Nuenen is after all the best thing I did“. It’s likely that the subject matter and the execution of the painting was quite close to Van Gogh’s heart, and that he was genuinely excited at having finished what he considered to be one of his masterpieces.
He also seemed genuinely hurt by the criticism he received on the painting from his friend, fellow Dutch painter Anthon van Rappard, and sternly rebuked him stating that he ‘’… had no right to condemn my work in the way you did.”
Aside from its special place in the artist’s own heart, the painting is notable for slightly darker reasons: it’s been stolen not once, but twice – first from the Kröller-Müller Museum in 1988, then from the Van Gogh Museum in 1991. In both cases, especially the latter (the escape car blew a tire and the thieves were forced to leave the paintings behind), the work was returned safely and unharmed.
Where is it?
📍 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
Wheatfield with Crows (1890)
What makes this painting famous?
In his final days, Van Gogh painted several depictions of the wheatfields surrounding him. Out of them, this one is the most famous, but also the darkest. It seems to show a sense of isolation and loneliness, with a path ending in the middle of the field, going nowhere, circled by crows. It’s a gloomy image.
There are plenty of other interpretations of the painting – including a line of thought that there is not a note of angst or despair to be found (Walther and Metzger) – and ultimately there’s no way of knowing the artist’s motivations. What we do know for sure is that the dramatic colour palette, a kind of mix between The Starry Night and Sunflowers, makes this one of Van Gogh’s most visceral and striking paintings.
What’s the background story?
Completed in July 1890, this may well have been Van Gogh’s final work – there are unfortunately no conclusive letters or records on the matter. The fact remains that this painting was completed the same month that Vincent shot himself in the chest, either near or in the depicted field of wheat. It’s impossible to look at this painting without this grim realisation in mind.
Where is it?
📍 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
Almond Blossoms (1888–1890)
What makes this painting famous?
To put it simply, Van Gogh’s Almond Blossoms are beautiful. The subject matter is aesthetically pleasing, and the artist’s joy in painting them can be clearly seen in the outcome. This particular painting is the most famous out of an entire series devoted to blossoming almond trees.
One little-known fact about Van Gogh is that he was obsessed with Japanese art, and greatly influenced by ukiyo-e woodcuts and prints. The inspiration behind the work can be clearly traced back to this Japanese art style, with the 1887 work Japonaiserie Flowering Plum Tree (after Hiroshige) – also pictured here – being both an homage to the Japanese artist Hiroshige, and a foreshadowing of Van Gogh’s own masterpiece.
What’s the background story?
Van Gogh enjoyed the most productive era of his career during his time in Southern France, referring to Arles as “the Japan of the South” due to its abundance of sunlight and flowering trees. He first arrived in March 1888, as the fruit trees began to blossom, and immediately began painting at an almost unprecedented rate:
“I am up to my ears in work for the trees are in blossom and I want to paint a Provençal orchard of astonishing gaiety.”
This particular work, Van Gogh’s most famous painting of almond blossoms, was created for another special reason: the birth of his nephew, the son of his brother Theo. It’s one of the rare Van Gogh paintings in which you can see hope, joy, and serenity – which makes it all the more special.
Where is it?
📍 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
Irises (1889)
What makes this painting famous?
Van Gogh’s Irises are perhaps the best example of the artist creating work of extreme aesthetic appeal. The painting is full of light, life and natural beauty – with a hint of Japanese inspiration, as found in Almond Blossoms. Simply put, it’s spectacular to look at, and bursting with colour.
“[It] strikes the eye from afar. The Irises are a beautiful study full of air and life.” – Theo van Gogh.
What’s the background story?
After checking himself into an asylum due to his deteriorating mental health, Van Gogh almost immediately began to work on this painting. He referred to the act of painting as “the lightning conductor for my illness”, and threw himself into his work by creating depictions of the Saint Paul-de-Mausole asylum’s flower garden.
It’s not hard to imagine that spending all day in the garden gave Vincent some sort of serenity or peace, however temporary it may have been. While the artist himself considered it to be simply a ‘study’ (not good enough to be a work of art in its own right), his brother Theo realised that Vincent had created something special and submitted it to the Société des Artistes Indépendants, where it was exhibited alongside Starry Night Over the Rhône.
Where is it?
📍J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889)
What makes this painting famous?
When discussing Van Gogh with someone, it’s inevitable that the conversation will eventually go towards what exactly happened to his ear – pictured in this very painting. Van Gogh’s work is inextricably linked to his personal life, and the events that unfolded over the course of his artistic career. The image of Van Gogh with his bandaged ear is an iconic one, and sometimes (unfortunately) the first image that comes to mind when someone thinks of Vincent van Gogh.
What’s the background story?
While living with his friend (this is up for debate) and fellow artist Paul Gauguin in Paris, Van Gogh proved to be a less-than-perfect roommate. He and Gauguin had frequent disagreements, which occasionally turned violent. During one such disagreement, Van Gogh is believed to have experienced a seizure, and threatened Gauguin with a razor before injuring himself instead, cutting off a part of his left ear and severing an artery in his own neck. In a heightened mental state, Vincent visited a local brothel and presented the lobe of his ear to one of the sex workers. He was taken to hospital the next day, with no recollection of the events that took place.
One other thing that may be of interest (once all ear-related questions have been answered) is the partially shown Japanese wall scroll in the background.
This is based on a genuine artwork that Van Gogh owned and had on his wall (pictured on the left): Geishas in a Landscape, a Japanese print from the 1870s, further showing how Japanese art influenced his own work.
Where is it?
📍 Courtauld Gallery, London.
Bedroom in Arles (1888)
What makes these paintings famous?
This painting might well be three times as famous as other ones on this list – because ‘Bedroom in Arles’ is actually the title given to three nearly identical works, all displayed in different museums around the world.
Each painting offers an intimate depiction of Van Gogh’s bedroom, providing a unique glimpse into how the artist lived. This is where he returned to after a hard day of work, and where he dreamed at night. The paintings are all relatively simple and humble, with a strong focus on an effective use of colour.
“I have painted the walls pale violet. The ground with checked material. The wooden bed and the chairs, yellow like fresh butter; the sheet and the pillows, lemon light green. The bedspread, scarlet coloured. The window, green. The washbasin, orangey; the tank, blue. The doors, lilac. And, that is all.”
What’s the background story?
This was Van Gogh’s bedroom in ‘The Yellow House’, which he shared with Gauguin. The closed door on the left led to the spare bedroom, in which Gauguin slept. In a letter to his friend, Vincent stated that the original painting in this series came about due to an extended bout of illness during which he was bedridden for several days.
One small and nice fact that keen-eyed observers might note is the miniature portraits hanging next to the bed. This is the 19th-century equivalent of putting polaroids of your friends on the wall – the people pictured are Van Gogh’s contemporaries and good friends Eugène Boch and Paul-Eugène Milliet.
Where are they?
📍 1st version: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
📍 2nd version: Art Institute of Chicago.
📍 3rd version: Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
Café Terrace at Night (1888)
What makes this painting famous?
This painting was the first time Van Gogh focused on creating his now-iconic evening backdrops with starlit skies – he would go on to create Starry Night Over the Rhône soon afterwards, followed by The Starry Night. The colours are immediately striking, and you can tell that this is a Van Gogh painting based on the colour palette and dark silhouettes in the distance alone.
It’s so well-loved that the exact site in Arles where Van Gogh created this image was refurbished in the early 1990s, to more accurately resemble (or replicate) the site as it was when the artist immortalised it in this painting.
What’s the background story?
Van Gogh himself was clearly inspired at the time, and was excited at the idea of representing nighttime in his paintings. Having just moved to Arles, he was full of ideas and hopeful about the direction of his art. Despite it only being two years before his death, Van Gogh was just beginning to lay the foundation for some of his most iconic paintings, embodied in Café Terrace at Night.
“Now there’s a painting of night without black. With nothing but beautiful blue, violet and green, and in these surroundings the lighted square is coloured pale sulphur, lemon green. I enormously enjoy painting on the spot at night. In the past they used to draw, and paint the picture from the drawing in the daytime. But I find that it suits me to paint the thing straight away. It’s quite true that I may take a blue for a green in the dark, a blue lilac for a pink lilac, since you can’t make out the nature of the tone clearly. But it’s the only way of getting away from the conventional black night with a poor, pallid and whitish light, while in fact a mere candle by itself gives us the richest yellows and oranges.” – Vincent van Gogh.
Where is it?
📍 Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo.
Are you inspired to hunt down any of the above artworks? Check out the world’s most famous Van Gogh paintings at the museums below!
