Butterflies and Poppies by Vincent Van Gogh Serving Tray

Butterflies and Poppies by Vincent Van Gogh, oil on canvas 1890, is a small, unfinished painting from the last months of the artist’s life. Sketched in thick outlines inside a hand-drawn border, the red flower blossoms and yellow tones of butterflies are painted against a background with the texture and tone of the canvas weave still showing beneath the brushstrokes. The picture is one of several such flower paintings drawn in thick outlines with a decorative effect liked stained glass. Vincent Van Gogh (1853 - 1890) was a Dutch painter of the Post-Impressionist movement known for bold, expressive drawing, swirling brushstrokes and bold, heightened colors. In early adulthood Van Gogh worked as an art dealer, teacher and pastor before taking up the full time study of drawing and painting in his late twenties. Influenced by Rembrandt, the 19th century Realists and Barbizon school, Van Gogh’s early paintings featured studies of workers and peasants in somber earth tones. Moving to France in 1886, Van Gogh met with the startling innovations of the Impressionist painters and began to apply their approach to color and subject matter, which continued into the mature style for which the artist is most renowned. Van Gogh produced many hundreds of drawings and paintings including portraits, landscapes, still life and flower paintings, and numerous self-portraits that became a dominating influence on the modern art of the 20th century and made him one of the most popular artists of all time.