Irises, Vincent van Gogh

The floral series of Irises paintings was inspired by the beautiful iris flowers in the gardens of the asylum to Vincent van Gogh was admitted. He was influenced by the nature surrounding him daily during his isolation. Each flower has its unique movements and shapes that van Gogh tried to portray as detail as he could using different patterns of brush strokes.

He painted it on the same easel used for the Starry Night paint by numbers. He used a gradient of blue and violet that brings the petals to life and green tones to match the leaves. Only one white Iris stands in the middle with a bush of poppies in shades of orange behind. There is some yellow touch here and there, materializing the center of the Irises and shades of the flowers behind the irises' flowerbed.

Irises symbolize wiseness and courage, and the white one represents pureness and innocence. Being alone in this painting emphasizes this meaning.

Vincent VanGogh is a Dutch painter known for his dramatic, impressionist artworks. His bold and unconventional technique was inspired by his stay in Paris, where he was drawn to the colors and light that represents emotions and feelings. In 1888, Van Gogh was placed in an asylum because of his depression.

Known to have had Bipolar Disorder, he used painting to escape his uncontrollable emotions and help with his illness. Van Gogh was fond of painting places he visited and claimed that he did not paint what he saw but felt. The key to creating such dreamy imagery of his point of view.

This van Gogh paint by numbers depicts a dark period in the short life of Vincent VanGogh. The freedom of those flowers contrasts with their confinement, their ephemeral character against their strong, long-term mental illness.