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Sunflowers, 1889
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Van Gogh's sketch of the triptych in his letter to Theo, 22 May 1889
Van Gogh realised the importance of the Sunflowers and painted additional versions of them in early 1889, such as this one with its blue background. Later, in May, he elaborated a daring new scheme for their display in a letter to his brother. Describing it as a ‘triptych’ (three-panelled work), he imagined two Sunflower pictures flanking La Berceuse (43) which, if hung in a ship, might bring comfort to sailors travelling far from home.
Oil on canvas
Philadelphia Museum of Art: The Mr. and Mrs. Carroll S. Tyson, Jr., Collection, 1963