Japanese Vase with Roses and Anemones
Painting on canvas • Vincent van Gogh
Style & Movement
Post-Impressionism
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas, utilizing heavy impasto, wet-on-wet application, and cross-hatched brushstrokes for the background.
Creation Period
June 1890
Dimensions & Format
51 x 51 cm (20.1 x 20.1 in); square format
Subject Description
A still life featuring a green ceramic vase decorated with Japanese-style floral motifs, filled with a dense bouquet of roses, anemones, and other flowers. A single fallen rose lies on the table to the right. The composition is set against a vibrant orange table and a white-cream background with structured, basket-weave brushwork.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good to Very Good. The surface shows characteristic impasto peaks typical of the artist, though there is evidence of color fading in some pigment areas.
Estimated Market Value
$40,000,000 - $60,000,000 (Based on similar late Auvers-period still lifes sold at auction)
Auction Estimate
$35,000,000 - $55,000,000
Provenance History
Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Originally in the collection of Dr. Paul Gachet, Auvers-sur-Oise; donated by Paul and Marguerite Gachet to the French State in 1951.
Art Historical Significance
Painted during the artist's final months in Auvers-sur-Oise, this work reflects Van Gogh's enduring fascination with Japonisme and his mastery of color theory, specifically the contrast between the complementary orange and blue/green tones.
Notable Features
The distinctive 'basket-weave' texture of the background and the use of the Japanese-style vase, which appeared in other works of the same period, are key markers of his late technical evolution.
Condition Issues
Visible flattened impasto in minor areas, likely from a historical lining process. Minor surface craquelure and significant fading of red 'lake' pigments (eosin), which would have originally made the roses more pink/vibrant.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain strictly controlled UV-filtered lighting to prevent further pigment degradation. Keep in a climate-controlled environment with 50% relative humidity.