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, which van Gogh tried to portray in as much 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 to bring 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 it. Some yellow touches here and there materialize the center of the Irises and shades of the flowers behind the irises' flowerbed.

The irises symbolize wisdom and courage, and the white one represents purity and innocence. Being alone in this painting emphasizes this meaning.

Vincent Van Gogh is a Dutch painter known for his dramatic, impressionist artworks. His stay in Paris inspired his bold and unconventional technique, where he was drawn to the colors and light that represent 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 is his point of view.

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