Irises

Original title, in French: Les Iris
Artist	Vincent van Gogh
Year	1889
Type	Oil on canvas
Dimensions	71 cm × 93 cm (28 in × 36.625 in)
Location	J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California

Irises is a painting by the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. "Irises" was painted while Vincent van Gogh was living at the asylum at Saint Paul-de-Mausole in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France in the last year before his death in 1890.

It was painted before his first attack at the asylum. There is a lack of the high tension which is seen in his later works. He called the painting "the lightning conductor for my illness", because he felt that he could keep himself from going insane by continuing to paint.

The painting was influenced by Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints, like many of his works and those by other artists of the time. The similarities occur with strong outlines, unusual angles, including close-up views and also flattish local colour (not modelled according to the fall of light).

He considered this painting a study, which is probably why there are no known drawings for it^[1], although Theo, Van Gogh's brother, thought better of it and quickly submitted it to the annual exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants in September 1889, together with Starry Night over the Rhone. He wrote to Vincent of the exhibition: "[It] strikes the eye from afar. The Irises are a beautiful study full of air and life."

[edit] Ownership history

Its first owner was the French art critic and anarchist Octave Mirbeau, who was also one of Van Gogh's first supporters: he paid 300 francs for it.

In 1987, it became the most expensive painting ever sold, setting a record which stood for two and a half years.^[2] Then it was sold for US$ 53.9 million dollars^[3] to Alan Bond, but he did not have enough money to pay for it. Irises was later re-sold in 1990 to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.^[4] Irises is currently (as of 2008) seventh on the inflation-adjusted list of most expensive paintings ever sold, and in 18th place if the effects of inflation are ignored.

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=947
2. ^ Van Gogh's Portrait of Dr. Gachet sold for $82.5 million on May 15, 1990 at Christie's, New York
3. ^ http://www.on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/nov11.htm
4. ^ http://www.vincent-gogh.com/irises.htm

v • d • e Vincent van Gogh General Biography · Chronology · Medical condition · Posthumous fame · Cultural depictions · List of works · Post-Impressionism · Family Theo van Gogh · Wil van Gogh · Johanna van Gogh-Bonger · Andries Bonger · Theo van Gogh (film director) · Anton Mauve Friends Anthon van Rappard · Paul Gachet · Paul Gauguin · Émile Bernard · John Peter Russell · Eugène Boch · Anna Boch Groups of works Self-Portraits · Portraits · Flowering Orchards · The Décoration for the Yellow House · The Roulin Family · The Wheat Field · Copies after Millet, and others · Display at Les XX, 1890 · Auvers size 30 canvases · Auvers Double-squares and Squares Paintings The Potato Eaters · Sunflowers · The Night Café · The Yellow House · Cafe Terrace at Night · Starry Night Over the Rhone · The Bedroom · L'Arlésienne · The Red Vineyard · Les Arènes · View of Arles, Flowering Orchards · Ivy · The Starry Night · At Eternity's Gate · Irises · Portrait of Dr. Gachet · The Church at Auvers · Wheatfield with Crows · Daubigny's Garden · Thatched Cottages by a Hill · White House at Night Other works Drawings and water-colours · Prints Public collections Van Gogh Museum · Kröller-Müller Museum · Musée d'Orsay Wikimedia  van Gogh at Wiktionary ·  van Gogh at Wikibooks ·  van Gogh at Wikiquote ·  van Gogh at Wikisource ·  van Gogh at Commons ·  van Gogh at Wikinews