How France Changed Van Gogh's Colour Palette

Paris: Learning Colour (1886–1888)

When Vincent arrived in Paris in 1886, his palette still held the browns and greys of his Dutch years, the colours of The Old Church Tower at Nuenen. Two years among the Impressionists and Pointillists changed that, as did the Japanese woodblock prints he collected. You can trace the shift in Van Gogh Prints & Posters through his self-portraits, more than twenty of them, the windmills of Montmartre, the view from Theo’s apartment and still lifes like Piles of French Novels. The cut Sunflowers of 1887 belong to this period too. He was painting sunflowers in Paris a year before the famous series in Arles.

Arles: Orchards and the Yellow House (1888–1889)

In Provence, Van Gogh found the light he had been searching for. Spring 1888 brought The Pink Orchard, The White Orchard and The Pink Peach Tree; summer brought the fishing boats at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, La Mousmé and Starry Night Over the Rhône. Then came the Yellow House and his bedroom inside it, which he painted again in 1889. He also painted Gauguin's Chair during their two difficult months together. The yellows and deep blues in these Van Gogh Prints & Posters add warmth to a white wall.

Saint-Rémy and Auvers: The Last Two Years

At the asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, he painted irises, olive groves, wheat fields with cypresses and the hospital corridors. When bad weather or illness kept him indoors, he made free copies of works by Millet. In Auvers-sur-Oise, during the summer of 1890, he worked at a pace of about one painting a day: the village church, the portrait of Dr. Gachet, Girl in White and the green wheat fields around the village. Van Gogh Prints & Posters featuring these late works give a calm room a sense of movement without letting it feel static.

Choosing and Hanging Your Van Gogh Prints & Posters

Starry Night Over the Rhône and an orchard in blossom make a natural pair of Van Gogh Prints & Posters, one cool and the other warm. If you prefer a single piece, a large landscape can stand alone above a sofa or bed. The Paris still lifes suit a kitchen or reading corner. Natural oak frames complement the earthy tones of Provence, while black metal gives the night scene and self-portraits sharper contrast.

Paper, Frames and Delivery

Every print in our Van Gogh Prints & Posters collection is reproduced on 200 g/m² FSC-certified matt paper. Its glare-free surface lets you see the detail of his brushwork clearly. Choose an unframed print or a black metal, white oak or natural oak frame. Framing is included at no extra cost, and framed prints arrive ready to hang after an extra 2 to 4 working days. Custom sizes are available on request. Each order is printed by our partner closest to you, in Europe, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.