Vincent Van Gogh. Millions of art lovers worldwide revere his name and works. His “Sunflowers” particularly are beloved beyond his wildest dreams.

I love sunflowers – they have long been a favorite flower – so Van Gogh feels like a kindred spirit. He painted 12 sunflower works in all, between 1887 and 1889. In my career as an artist, I have also painted them numerous times.

Vincent created some of the paintings specially for a visit of (the also later famous) Paul Gauguin to his home. Apparently, he proclaimed to his brother Theo that sunflowers would become his artistic signature. Little did he know how true that would be! More here: 10 Facts that You Don’t Know About “Sunflowers”.

A Vincent Van Gogh quote:

“What am I in the eyes of most people – a nonentity, an eccentric, or an unpleasant person – somebody who has no position in society and will never have; in short, the lowest of the low. All right, then – even if that were absolutely true, then I should one day like to show by my work what such an eccentric, such a nobody, has in his heart. That is my ambition, based less on resentment than on love in spite of everything, based more on a feeling of serenity than on passion. Though I am often in the depths of misery, there is still calmness, pure harmony and music inside me. I see paintings or drawings in the poorest cottages, in the dirtiest corners. And my mind is driven towards these things with an irresistible momentum.”

Artful Soul 1 | Van Gogh © Susan L Hart 2019 | Hart Haiku