À propos de l’œuvre
Herbe longue avec des papillons, par Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh · May 1890 · Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France
Long grass with butterfliesReproduction of oil painting on canvas
Van Gogh looks down at a bushy meadow where a few white butterflies appear between the grass. Without sky or horizon, this plot of the Saint-Paul garden becomes a complete world, woven with greens, yellows, blues and purples.
Look at the work
A meadow observed as closely as a portrait
The large tufts in the foreground are constructed by green and blue lines that radiate around their base. Between them, the ground appears in touches of gray, lilac and ocher. Several light butterflies almost merge with the small flowers.
Near the upper edge, a gray path crosses the canvas diagonally and separates two areas of vegetation. Behind it, the grasses become shorter and the yellow accents more numerous. This simple change of scale is enough to create depth.
The painting combines almost botanical observation with a vibrant surface where each blade of grass retains the direction of the brush.
Composition, touch and color
Three observations specific to this painting
The work NG4169 can be recognized by its skyless framing, the oblique path placed very high and the small white butterflies scattered in the meadow.
Open space on three sides
The path only closes the top of the composition. Elsewhere, the tufts are cut by the edges, suggesting that the meadow continues well beyond the frame.
Depth by key length
Nearby grasses are formed of long, separate lines. In the distance, they become short dashes and dots: the scale of the gesture replaces the traditional perspective.
Almost abstract butterflies
Their wings are not precisely drawn. A few white touches are enough to distinguish them from the flowers and introduce small aerial movements into the plant density.
Documented benchmarks
Precisely identify the original work
The National Gallery keeps Long Grass with Butterflies under inventory NG4169. This oil on canvas of 64.5 × 80.7 cm, painted in Saint-Rémy in May 1890, bears the references F672 and JH1975.
The garden of Saint-Paul
Van Gogh painted a plot of land on the grounds of the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole hospital. There he observed tall grass, wild plants and small spaces left maintenance-free.
Two clippings of grass
Around May 4, 1890, he wrote to Theo that he had painted two canvases of the newly cut grass. The National Gallery considers this work probably one of them.
NG4169 since 1926
The painting was purchased in 1926 from the Courtauld Fund, then transferred from the Tate to the National Gallery in 1961. It belongs to the museum's main collection.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Reproduction must retain the diversity of greens, the lilac touches of the soil and the discretion of butterflies, without transforming the meadow into a uniform flat area.
- The radiant tufts of the foreground
- The little white butterflies hidden in the grass
- The gray path that cuts the top of the canvas
- Yellow and purple accents between greens
Work sheet
| Title | Long grass with butterflies |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890) |
| Date | May 1890 |
| Place of creation | Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 64.5 × 80.7 cm |
| Inventory | NG4169 · F672 · JH1975 |
| Conservation | National Gallery, London |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
From order to shipping
In your interior
An immersive meadow for a horizontal wall
Multiple greens and notes of blue bring a natural presence without a dominant horizon. The painting is suitable for a living room, bedroom or office with woody materials and warm cream or gray walls.
Frequently asked questions
Before ordering
Is this a canvas print?
No. Each reproduction is manually painted in oil on canvas. Brushstrokes and material variations belong to the final result.
How is the visual reference chosen?
The high definition photograph of the work measures 6,000 × 4,749 px. It was cropped in the pictorial field then converted into a real WebP of 3,000 × 2,375 px.
Can I check the result before shipping?
Yes. Photographs of the finished painting are sent to you; you can request alterations before validating the shipment.
Are custom formats possible?
Yes. The format can be adapted to your wall while maintaining the proportions and balance of the original composition.
