Vase with Carnations 1886

Vincent van Gogh painted "Vase with Carnations" during his time in Paris between 1886 and 1888, a period of intense artistic exploration. Van Gogh's choice of flowers, their arrangement, and his distinctive brushstrokes are key to understanding his project. Still life paintings were regarded as artistically inferior to other genres such as history painting. Therefore, Van Gogh challenges the established hierarchy of the French Salon. Flowers also held symbolic meanings. Consider what the carnation, in all its varieties, might have meant to the artist. To truly understand this painting, we might turn to the archives of Parisian art journals and exhibition reviews, and delve into the artist's correspondence. These resources offer insight into the artistic dialogues of the time, reflecting on the conditions that shaped Van Gogh's unique approach to painting and the politics of artistic expression in late 19th-century Paris.