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Oleanders, 1888
In Arles, free-flowering oleanders grew in profusion in the park Van Gogh designated ‘the poet’s garden’. He associated the plant with love affairs. The two books placed next to the vase in this picture include one of Van Gogh's favourites. This was Emile Zola’s 1884 novel La Joie de Vivre (The Joy of Living), a tale of optimism in the face of relentless difficulty.
Oil on canvas
Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Loeb, 1962 (62.24)