Sunflowers

A huge, black, dried-up mass rolls in a strange, horizonless space.

It is a life-sized sunflower head, cut off and drooping weakly.

When one thinks of Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers,' what comes to mind?

Many people imagine golden sunflowers beautifully arranged in a vase, under the bright sun of Southern France.

A painting symbolizing warm friendship. That is how it is generally described.

But, in fact. What Gauguin truly loved and cherished, keeping it displayed above his bed, was not that bright yellow one.

It was this black, withered sunflower.

In 1886, Van Gogh moved to Montmartre, Paris, France.

He wanted to completely break away from his previous somber, gray style.
He rapidly absorbed the colors of Impressionism.

'I want to try to express intense color itself, rather than harmony through gray.' His quest for color.

This culminated in the groundbreaking 'Sunflowers' series in the latter half of 1887.

He deliberately painted the cut, wilting flowers lying on the ground at life-size.

In the urban art world, a fateful encounter occurred. Paul Gauguin.

The two artists exchanged paintings. It was this painting that strongly captivated Gauguin.

For several years, until he was forced to sell it to fund his second voyage to Tahiti.

Above his bed in his Paris home, he carefully displayed this sunflower.

However, their friendship was short-lived. Late 1888. Their shared life, which began in the 'Yellow House' in Arles, Southern France, collapsed in just two months.

Violent conflict. Van Gogh cut off his own ear. A blood-stained bed.

Gauguin fled back home.

Their relationship was torn apart. Afterward, a letter arrived from Gauguin.

It was a unilateral demand: he wanted the 'Sunflowers in a Vase' painted in Arles. Van Gogh was indignant.

'You already have two sunflowers.' Not even fragments of their friendship remained.