Noon: Rest from Work (after Millet)
Painting on canvas • Vincent van Gogh
Style & Movement
Post-Impressionism
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas featuring thick impasto brushwork, rhythmic strokes, and a vibrant, expressive color palette characteristic of the artist's late style.
Creation Period
January 1890
Dimensions & Format
73 cm x 91 cm; Landscape format
Subject Description
A rural scene depicting a peasant couple napping in the shade of a large haystack during the midday heat. In the background, a cart and oxen are visible. The composition is a direct homage to Jean-François Millet\'s 'La Méridienne,' reinterpreted through Van Gogh\'s unique use of complementary colors (yellow-orange and violet-blue) and dynamic line work.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent (Museum Grade). The surface shows stable impasto and vibrant pigment retention characteristic of well-preserved works held in institutional collections.
Estimated Market Value
$100,000,000 - $150,000,000 (Based on historical significance and rarity of late-period masterworks)
Auction Estimate
$80,000,000 - $120,000,000
Provenance History
Formerly in the collection of Dr. Paul Gachet, Auvers-sur-Oise; subsequently acquired by the French State; currently held in the permanent collection of the Musée d\'Orsay, Paris.
Art Historical Significance
One of Van Gogh\'s most famous 'translations' of Millet\'s work, painted while he was a patient at the asylum in Saint-Rémy de Provence. It represents a culminating moment in his career where he synthesized his admiration for the 'peasant painter' Millet with his own revolutionary color theory and expressive brushwork.
Notable Features
Highly textured impasto that creates a sculptural quality; use of violet and blue shadows to contrast against the golden fields; housed in a period-appropriate gilded Louis XIV style carved frame.
Condition Issues
Minor stable craquelure consistent with age; archival lining likely performed in the mid-20th century to stabilize the canvas.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain strictly controlled humidity (50% +/- 5%) and temperature (20°C +/- 2°C). Display under UV-filtered glazing and low-level laboratory-grade lighting to prevent pigment degradation.