À propos de l’œuvre
Vase d'iris, par Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh · May 1890 · Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France
Iris vaseReproduction of oil painting on canvas
A bouquet of blue-purple iris springs from an ocher vase in front of an almost sunny yellow background. Painted a few days before the departure from Saint-Rémy, this large still life is a deliberately intense study of complementary colors.
Look at the work
Cold irises projected onto a yellow wall
The vase, placed very low on an ocher table, bears a bouquet higher than it. The green leaves rise in long blades while the flowers bloom in irregular clusters. Several stems bend towards the edges and a flower falls to the right of the container.
The yellow background is not uniform: it is covered with horizontal and vertical touches which modulate the light. The irises are constructed by blues, purples, white and some very dark contours. The yellow of the wall and the blue of the bouquet reinforce each other.
Van Gogh does not seek the delicacy of a living room bouquet: he gives the flowers a monumental scale and transforms the yellow-purple contrast into the main subject.
Composition, touch and color
Three observations specific to this painting
The work s0050V1962 is the vertical version with a yellow background, cataloged F678/JH1977. It should not be confused with the horizontal version with a pink background today at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
An almost life-size bouquet
The large 92.7 cm format allows irises to occupy almost the entire height. Flowers cut by the top edge make the bouquet appear to continue beyond the frame.
The yellow-purple contrast
Van Gogh combines two opposing colors on the color wheel. The petals appear colder and deeper against the warm yellow of the wall and the orange-brown of the vase.
A color transformed by time
The irises were originally more purple. Part of the red pigment having faded, the flowers now appear more blue; this evolution belongs to the material history of the work.
Documented benchmarks
Precisely identify the original work
The Van Gogh Museum preserves Vase d'iris under number s0050V1962. This oil on canvas of 92.7 × 73.9 cm, painted in Saint-Rémy in May 1890, bears the references F678 and JH1977.
Four bouquets from May 1890
At the end of his stay in Saint-Rémy, Van Gogh painted two bouquets of irises and two bouquets of roses. He thus explores several color oppositions and two canvas orientations.
F678, the yellow background
This vertical composition places the flowers on a bright yellow. Its companion F680, more horizontal, seeks on the contrary a soft harmony of purple irises on an initially pink background.
Vincent van Gogh Foundation
The work belongs to the Vincent van Gogh Foundation and is kept at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam under inventory s0050V1962.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Reproduction must preserve the very clear opposition between yellow and blue, the visible material of the petals and the irregular silhouette of the bouquet.
- Blue-purple irises surrounded by dark contours
- The long green leaves that cross the bouquet
- The ocher vase modeled by yellows and browns
- The yellow background animated by visible brushstrokes
Work sheet
| Title | Iris vase |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890) |
| Date | May 1890 |
| Place of creation | Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 92.7 × 73.9 cm |
| Inventory | s0050V1962· F678· JH1977 |
| Conservation | Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
From order to shipping
In your interior
A monumental and luminous floral presence
The dominant yellow warms a living room, dining room or entrance. Blues and greens resonate naturally in dark wood, brass, indigo textiles and cream 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 official public domain image measures 2,480 × 3,122 px. It was converted into a real WebP of 2,383 × 3,000 px, without artificial enlargement.
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.
