“Undergrowth,” 1887. Vincent Willem van Gogh, Dutch, 1853 ‑ 1890. Oil on canvas, 13 x 18 1/8 inches (33 x 46 cm); Framed: 20 1/4 x 25 3/8 inches (51.5 x 64.5 cm). Centraal Museum, Utrecht, Netherlands


“Field with Flowers near Arles,” 1888. Vincent Willem van Gogh, Dutch, 1853 ‑ 1890. Oil on canvas, 21 1/4 x 25 9/16 inches (54 x 65 cm). Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam


“Rain,” 1889. Vincent Willem van Gogh, Dutch, 1853 ‑ 1890. Oil on canvas, 28 7/8 x 36 3/8 inches (73.3 x 92.4 cm). Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Henry P. McIlhenny Collection in memory of Frances P. McIlhenny

Vincent van Gogh’s tragic death has been the subject of much research and speculation, and it often overshadows the story of his art education and his contributions to 20th century art. For example, people forget that he trained himself by studiously copying the lithographic plates published by Charles Bargue (1826/27 - 1883) that were used extensively in art schools and ateliers offering classical training. Moreover, he proved to be an artist of exceptional intensity, not only in his use of color and exuberant application of paint. Van Gogh was interested in working from nature and his drawings and paintings — particularly those created in the years just before he took his own life — engage viewers with the strength of their emotional content.


“Undergrowth with Two Figures,” 1890. Vincent Willem van Gogh, Dutch, 1853 ‑ 1890. Oil on canvas, 19 1/2 x 39 1/4 inches (49.5 x 99.7 cm). Cincinnati Art Museum, Bequest of Mary E. Johnston


“Sunflowers,” 1887. Vincent Willem van Gogh, Dutch, 1853 ‑ 1890. Oil on canvas, 17 x 24 inches (43.2 x 61 cm), Framed: 26 1/4 x 33 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches (66.7 x 85.1 x 6.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund

This exhibition focuses on those tumultuous years, a period of feverish artistic experimentation that began when van Gogh left Antwerp for Paris in 1886 and continued until his death in Auvers in 1890. The presentation in Philadelphia will be the only opportunity to see the exhibition in the United States. The exhibition also presents more than 30 comparative works including Japanese woodblock prints and European prints, drawings, and photographs by artists whose works bore intriguing correspondence with and offered inspiration for van Gogh. For more information, visit www.philamuseum.org.