Arguably best known for his sunflowers, there was one Vincent van Gogh thought better.
That painter was Claude Monet.
In a letter to his brother, van Gogh wrote: “[Paul] Gauguin was telling me the other day that he had seen a picture by Claude Monet of sunflowers in a large Japanese vase, very fine, but – he likes mine better. I don’t agree.”
Will you? For many Victorian artists captured the blooms to canvas and each is as unique as the flowers themselves.
Vincent van Gogh painting sunflowers by Paul Gauguin, 1888.
The sunflower is mine, in a way. – Vincent van Gogh
Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh, 1888.
Vase of Sunflowers by Henri Matisse, 1898.
And the yellow sunflower by the brook in autumn beauty stood.
William C. Bryant
Sunflowers Garden At Petit Gennevilliers by Gustave Caillebotte, 1885.
Bouquet of Sunflowers by Claude Monet, 1881.
Flowers have an expression. . . Some seem to smile; some have a sad expression; some are pensive and diffident; others again are plain, honest and upright, like the broad-faced sunflower and the hollyhock. – Henry Ward Beecher
I like Monet’s the best.
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Regardless of van Gogh’s being the most recognized, Monet was a kinsman of flowers and considered his garden his “most beautiful masterpiece.”
Flowers were his all.
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Van Gogh and Gaugin had a contentious relationship. Maybe Vincent’s comment to his brother Theo was fueled by that animosity when he made the statement about his Sunflower painting. All of the Sunflower works shown here are beautifully captured in paint and canvas. Beautiful.
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Ann, perhaps it is as you write. Do you not find it dreadful that one cannot visit another era and discover the answers first-hand? There are many historical figures we’d seek who could easily solve these mysteries.
Thank you ever so much for sharing a moment of your day here on our blog.
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It’s hard for me to argue which artist captures the essence of sunflowers best .
Both Gauging and Van Gogh do phenomenal jobs with the subject .
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Reblogged this on and commented:
Ah! My favorite flower of summer and fall!
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In whatever rendering, the brilliance of the sunflower shines through.
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I can’t wait to start seeing acres of them blooming in late summer .
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I like the richness of Monet”s work. There is a certain oneness among the flowers.
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