Two Children
Painting on canvas • Vincent van Gogh
Style & Movement
Post-Impressionism / Expressionism
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas; Post-Impressionist technique characterized by rapid, rhythmic brushstrokes, high impasto, and bold, expressive outlines.
Creation Period
June 1890
Dimensions & Format
51.2 cm x 51 cm; Square-ish portrait format.
Subject Description
The painting depicts two young girls, likely sisters, standing side-by-side. They wear matching blue dresses and white hats (bonnets), with the girl on the left holding a white flower. The background features simplified architectural elements and greenery, rendered with wavy, energetic lines typical of Van Gogh's late period in Auvers-sur-Oise.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent; well-preserved in a museum collection with vibrant color retention and stable impasto.
Estimated Market Value
$40,000,000 - $60,000,000+
Auction Estimate
$35,000,000 - $55,000,000
Provenance History
Formerly in the collection of Johanna van Gogh-Bonger; acquired by the Musee d'Orsay (or currently held in the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, Meudon / Pushkin Museum collection history varies by specific version, this version is tied to the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow).
Art Historical Significance
Painted during Van Gogh's final months in Auvers-sur-Oise, this work demonstrates his obsession with portraiture and his evolving use of color to convey emotion rather than literal reality. It represents the height of his stylistic 'turbulence' and is a key example of his late-career mastery.
Notable Features
Distinctive use of heavy blue outlines around the figures; the 'staccato' brushwork in the dresses; the psychological intensity and slightly melancholic expressions of the children.
Condition Issues
Minor surface dirt and very fine craquelure consistent with age; possible slight fading of fugitive red pigments in the flesh tones over a century.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain strictly controlled humidity (45-55%) and temperature; provide UV-filtered glazing and low-level LED lighting to prevent further pigment degradation.