Two versions of Van Gogh’s "Sunflowers" met at an exhibition at the National Gallery in London

Two versions of the same plot of the most famous series of Van Gogh met at the National Gallery (The National Gallery) in London, for the first time since 1947.

“I counted six differences,” said one visitor who took the unique opportunity to compare two brilliant works by Vincent Van Gogh, exhibited side by side in the main hall of the London gallery for three whole months.

Reunion is undoubtedly a special moment. One painting belongs to the National Gallery, and the other belongs to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and both works are one of the most popular in their expositions.

“65 years passed before the paintings could meet again, it may take another 65 years to happen again, because both works are extremely important for the exposition of both museums,” said Christopher Riopelle, curator of the National Gallery in London. “I’m sure there are people in Amsterdam who are very disappointed that they came to the museum, and the Sunflowers weren’t there.”

“Sunflowers”, owned by the National Gallery in London, is one of four works created by Van Gogh to decorate the guest bedroom in the “yellow house” in Arles, in August 1888. It was in this room that very often the artist’s close friend, Paul Gauguin, rested when he visited. The painting, owned by the museum from Amsterdam, is one of three copies that Van Gogh made later, in January 1889. In total, the artist wrote a cycle of seven paintings, united by a common name.

Martin Bailey, author of the recently published study The Sunflowers Are Mine, said people would inevitably compare two paintings to see what changes the artist had made later and try to understand why he did it.

The differences are both obvious and very subtle: for example, the later copy is slightly higher because Van Gogh wanted to take up more space from above. The London version of "Sunflowers" has a more carefully prescribed pot, according to which it is obvious that the artist was looking for the best color balance. The Amsterdam version is more stylized, incorrect from the point of view of botany, but perhaps more interesting.

Bailey said that there is no greater revelation than watching these works side by side, only in this way you can more deeply comprehend and appreciate these works. The senior restorer of the Van Gogh Museum Ella Hendricks knows every millimeter of the picture, but even for her the exhibition was a discovery. “It’s almost like a game, find the differences, and when you realize how different they are, it’s just fantastic,” she said.

The National Gallery bought its own version of “Sunflowers” directly from the artist’s family in 1924, after which the work became an integral part of the collection. In the store located in the gallery, you can buy about 100 different types of goods with the image of sunflowers - from handmade chocolates, coasters, pillows, to pearl bracelets and other jewelry.

Of the four versions of the paintings of the “Sunflowers” series in 1888, only three remain now - one canvas was destroyed as a result of an American air raid on Japan during the Second World War. The remaining works are in the National Gallery in London, in Munich and in a private collection. Moreover, the work, which is in private hands, has not been exhibited in public since 1948. Three copies of 1889 are on permanent display at the artist’s museum in Amsterdam and at the Art Museums in Philadelphia and Tokyo. Therefore, the opportunity to see two paintings at once together is a tremendous chance for art critics and fans of the artist’s creativity, which is unlikely to introduce themselves again in the near future.

The exhibition also presents the results of recent scientific research, giving a new understanding of how Vincent Van Gogh wrote his works, and what materials he used. The gallery relies on a large flow of visitors, so a queue system has already been developed, according to which everyone who wants to compare two masterpieces will be launched into the room where the canvases are located.

The series "Sunflowers" is the most famous in the artist’s work. Its writing falls precisely on that period of Van Gogh’s life, when he suffered a nervous breakdown and cut off part of his ear, after which he voluntarily went to the shelter. The outwardly simple image of sunflowers at different stages of their life cycle easily resonates with each person’s soul, perfectly demonstrating the extraordinary expressive power of the artist’s works.

Anna Sidorova © Gallerix.ru