{"id":10766,"date":"2021-04-14T12:20:56","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T12:20:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tiqets-blog-staging.local\/famous-van-gogh-paintings\/"},"modified":"2025-08-22T08:42:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T08:42:20","slug":"famous-van-gogh-paintings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/famous-van-gogh-paintings\/","title":{"rendered":"Famous Van Gogh Paintings and the Stories Behind Them","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u2013<\/em>\u00a0This post was written by\u00a0Mick Murray<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u2013<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vincent van Gogh (1853\u20131890) 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\u2019s Van Gogh Museum recently taking home the \u2018Best Museum\u2019 prize as part of the global Remarkable Venue Awards<\/a> (receiving over 6,000 votes), there\u2019s never been a better time to examine Van Gogh\u2019s work. From starry nights to spectacular sunflowers, here\u2019s a guide to Van Gogh\u2019s most famous paintings and what makes them so special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Starry Night (1889)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"'The<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What makes this painting famous?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Starry Night<\/em> is likely to be at the top of anyone\u2019s list when it comes to naming Van Gogh\u2019s most famous artworks. You\u2019ll find it on posters, novelty socks, tote bags, computer backgrounds, tattooed arms \u2013 you name it. You\u2019ll 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<\/a>).

The Starry Night<\/em> is not just one of Van Gogh\u2019s most popular paintings; it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the background story?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While this post is about famous Van Gogh paintings and not a biography of the artist himself, his life can\u2019t be ignored when writing about his art. Van Gogh voluntarily checked himself into the mental asylum at Saint-R\u00e9my-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<\/em> was completed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite it now being regarded as one of history\u2019s 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 \u201cnight study\u201d, 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 \u201cfailure\u201d in a letter to fellow painter \u00c9mile Bernard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where is The Starry Night?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Museum of Modern Art<\/a>, New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starry Night Over the Rh\u00f4ne (1888)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Starry<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What makes this painting famous?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When people refer to \u2018Starry Night\u2019, they usually mean the first painting on this list \u2013 but they could very well be talking about Starry Night Over the Rh\u00f4ne<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the background story?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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 Eug\u00e8ne Boch, and the work was publicly exhibited in 1889 at the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 des Artistes Ind\u00e9pendants 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 \u201c…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.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where is Starry Night Over the Rh\u00f4ne?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mus\u00e9e d’Orsay<\/a>, Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunflowers (1888)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Three<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What makes these paintings famous?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sunflower<\/em>s 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\u2019s ‘Sunflowers’, they\u2019re 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 \u2018Paris Sunflowers\u2019, 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 Kr\u00f6ller-M\u00fcller Museum, and (of course) the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the background story?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t surprise you when it’s a question of painting large sunflowers.”<\/em> 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 \u2013 particularly the ones that Van Gogh painted. In 1889, Gauguin \u2018claimed\u2019 one of the sunflower paintings in exchange for some of his own work which he left to Van Gogh, to Vincent\u2019s 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.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where are Van Gogh’s Sunflowers?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can find Van Gogh\u2019s famous sunflower paintings at locations around the world: The Met<\/a> in New York, The Kr\u00f6ller-M\u00fcller Museum<\/a> in Otterlo, the Van Gogh Museum<\/a> in Amsterdam, the Museum of Fine Arts in Bern, the National Gallery<\/a> in London, the Philadelphia Museum of Art<\/a>, the Sompo Japan Museum of Art in Tokyo, and the Neue Pinakothek in Munich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self Portrait (1889)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"A<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What makes this painting famous?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is often believed to be Van Gogh\u2019s 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<\/em> is his last ever painting of himself, there\u2019s little argument as to which painting is more famous. It features similar hallucinatory swirling patterns to The Starry Night<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the background story?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s another one that isn\u2019t often brought up: he simply didn\u2019t have the money to pay for models to sit down for hours at a time. While Van Gogh didn\u2019t live in abject poverty \u2013 a myth that is often repeated \u2013 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s in a better place now, in retrospect it\u2019s painfully obvious to see that all was not well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“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.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where is it?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mus\u00e9e d’Orsay<\/a>, Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Potato Eaters (1885)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"'The<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What makes this painting famous?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It doesn\u2019t have the colourful star power found in some of his later work, but The Potato Eaters<\/em> 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\u2019s Dutch roots.

Influenced heavily by artists from the Hague School (most notably Jozef Isra\u00ebls), 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the background story?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Van Gogh loved this painting. Two years after finishing it, he wrote a letter to his sister claiming that \u2018\u2019… the painting of the peasants eating potatoes that I did in Nuenen is after all the best thing I did<\/em>“. It\u2019s likely that the subject matter and the execution of the painting was quite close to Van Gogh\u2019s 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 \u2018\u2019… had no right to condemn my work in the way you did<\/em>.\u201d

Aside from its special place in the artist\u2019s own heart, the painting is notable for slightly darker reasons: it\u2019s been stolen not once, but twice \u2013 first from the Kr\u00f6ller-M\u00fcller 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where is it?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Van Gogh Museum<\/a>, Amsterdam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wheatfield with Crows (1890)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Wheatfield<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What makes this painting famous?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s a gloomy image.

There are plenty of other interpretations of the painting \u2013 including a line of thought that there is not a note of angst or despair to be found (Walther and Metzger) \u2013 and ultimately there\u2019s 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<\/em> and Sunflowers<\/em>, makes this one of Van Gogh\u2019s most visceral and striking paintings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the background story?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Completed in July 1890, this may well have been Van Gogh\u2019s final work \u2013 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\u2019s impossible to look at this painting without this grim realisation in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where is it?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Van Gogh Museum<\/a>, Amsterdam.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almond Blossoms (1888\u20131890)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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What makes this painting famous?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\"Japonaiserie<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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To put it simply, Van Gogh\u2019s Almond Blossoms<\/em> are beautiful. The subject matter is aesthetically pleasing, and the artist\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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)<\/em> \u2013 also pictured here \u2013 being both an homage to the Japanese artist Hiroshige, and a foreshadowing of Van Gogh\u2019s own masterpiece.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the background story?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Van Gogh enjoyed the most productive era of his career during his time in Southern France, referring to Arles as \u201cthe Japan of the South\u201d 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 Proven\u00e7al orchard of astonishing gaiety.”<\/em>

This particular work, Van Gogh\u2019s most famous painting of almond blossoms, was created for another special reason: the birth of his nephew, the son of his brother Theo. It\u2019s one of the rare Van Gogh paintings in which you can see hope, joy, and serenity \u2013 which makes it all the more special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where is it?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Van Gogh Museum<\/a>, Amsterdam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Irises (1889)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Irises<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What makes this painting famous?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Van Gogh\u2019s Irises<\/em> are perhaps the best example of the artist creating work of extreme aesthetic appeal. The painting is full of light, life and natural beauty \u2013 with a hint of Japanese inspiration, as found in Almond Blossoms<\/em>. Simply put, it\u2019s 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.” <\/em>\u2013 Theo van Gogh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the background story?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s flower garden.

It\u2019s 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 \u2018study\u2019 (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 Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 des Artistes Ind\u00e9pendants, where it was exhibited alongside Starry Night Over the Rh\u00f4ne<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where is it?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"A<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What makes this painting famous?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When discussing Van Gogh with someone, it\u2019s inevitable that the conversation will eventually go towards what exactly happened to his ear \u2013 pictured in this very painting. Van Gogh\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the background story?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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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<\/em>, a Japanese print from the 1870s, further showing how Japanese art influenced his own work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where is it?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Courtauld Gallery, London.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Bedroom in Arles (1888)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"A<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What makes these paintings famous?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This painting might well be three times as famous as other ones on this list \u2013 because \u2018Bedroom in Arles\u2019 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI 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.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the background story?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This was Van Gogh\u2019s bedroom in \u2018The Yellow House\u2019, 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 \u2013 the people pictured are Van Gogh\u2019s contemporaries and good friends Eug\u00e8ne Boch and Paul-Eug\u00e8ne Milliet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where are they?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

1st version: Van Gogh Museum<\/a>, Amsterdam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2nd version: Art Institute of Chicago<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3rd version: Mus\u00e9e d’Orsay<\/a>, Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caf\u00e9 Terrace at Night (1888)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Caf\u00e9<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What makes this painting famous?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This painting was the first time Van Gogh focused on creating his now-iconic evening backdrops with starlit skies \u2013 he would go on to create Starry Night Over the Rh\u00f4ne<\/em> soon afterwards, followed by The Starry Night<\/em>. 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the background story?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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 Caf\u00e9 Terrace at Night<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow there\u2019s 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\u2019s quite true that I may take a blue for a green in the dark, a blue lilac for a pink lilac, since you can\u2019t make out the nature of the tone clearly. But it\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/em> \u2013 Vincent van Gogh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where is it?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Kr\u00f6ller-M\u00fcller Museum<\/a>, Otterlo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Are you inspired to hunt down any of the above artworks? <\/strong>Check out the world\u2019s most famous Van Gogh paintings at the museums below!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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