french third republicconcept:era modern
The Bedroom (first version)
Oil on canvas (1888) by Vincent van Gogh. Depicts Van Gogh's bedroom at the Yellow House in Arles, with distorted perspective and saturated colour conveying rest and security. First of three versions. Held at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Scholarly Significance
Add Van Gogh's Bedroom (first version, 1888, Art Institute Chicago) to distinguish it from the Starry Night and document the Arles period.
Notes
- ·Painted in October 1888 at the Yellow House in Arles; Van Gogh wrote to Theo that he wanted to express 'absolute repose' through colour — no shadows, flat colours like Japanese prints.
- ·Two replicas made in 1889 while Van Gogh was at Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum at Saint-Rémy.
- ·Helen Birch Bartlett bequest to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1926.
- ·The perspective distortion (converging walls, tilted floor) reflects both the actual shape of the room and Van Gogh's expressive use of space.