
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is home to at least 16 Vincent van Gogh paintings, which are usually off touring the world. The Met's Van Gogh collection covers the artist's artistic growth and life, including his time in Arles, France, where he was inspired to paint cypress trees. Van Gogh's paintings are in high demand for exhibitions, so it is rare to find so many of his works in one place.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Van Gogh paintings at the Met | 16-17 |
| Date of exhibition | 22 May 2023-27 August 2023 |
| Gallery numbers | 822, 825, 823, 826, 961 |
| Names of paintings | "Wheat Field with Cypresses", "The Starry Night", "The Yellow House in Arles", "Irises", "Sunflowers", "Self-Portrait With a Straw Hat", "L'Arlésienne", "Oleanders", "Roses", "Vase with Irises" |
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What You'll Learn
- Van Gogh's paintings at the Met include 'Wheat Field with Cypresses' and 'The Starry Night'
- Van Gogh's paintings are usually off touring the world
- The Met's Van Gogh exhibition in 2018 was the first time in four years that all 16 of the museum's Van Gogh paintings were exhibited together
- Van Gogh's Self-Portrait With a Straw Hat hasn't left New York since its acquisition in 1967
- Van Gogh's paintings at the Met showcase the stages of his artistic growth and life

Van Gogh's paintings at the Met include 'Wheat Field with Cypresses' and 'The Starry Night'
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as the Met, has 16 Vincent van Gogh paintings in its collection, though one source mentions 17. These paintings are usually off touring the world, but all 16 were reunited at the Met in New York in 2018, and again in 2019.
Van Gogh's paintings at the Met include 'Wheat Field with Cypresses' (1889) and 'The Starry Night'. The former was acquired as part of the seven-piece Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Collection, with the provision that the canvases never be loaned out. 'Wheat Field with Cypresses' was painted during Van Gogh's 15-month stay in Arles, where he first became enamoured with painting the cypress trees that dotted the landscape of Provence, France. The painting is said to showcase the artist's Neo-Impressionist skills and use of colour.
'The Starry Night' was likely also painted during Van Gogh's time in Arles, as he wrote to his brother Theo about his desire to paint "a starry night with cypresses—or perhaps above a field of ripe wheat". The painting is one of Van Gogh's most iconic images of cypresses, which the artist saw as protectors of the region's cold, merciless winds.
Other Van Gogh paintings at the Met include 'Self-Portrait With a Straw Hat' (1887), 'Irises' (1890), and 'Sunflowers' (1887).
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Van Gogh's paintings are usually off touring the world
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is home to a collection of Vincent van Gogh's paintings. However, due to the high demand for his work worldwide, it is uncommon for all of the Met's Van Gogh paintings to be on display at the same time. Van Gogh's paintings are often loaned out to other institutions for exhibitions and international loans.
In 2018, for the first time in four years, all 16 of the Met's Van Gogh paintings were reunited and exhibited together in New York. This was a rare occurrence, as the Met's Van Gogh collection is usually off touring the world. The exhibition included paintings such as 'Oleanders' (1888), which had just returned from a three-venue showing of 'Van Gogh & Japan' in Sapporo, Tokyo, and Kyoto, and 'L'Arlésienne' (1888-1889), which had been a highlight of the Amsterdam venue at the Van Gogh Museum.
Some of the Van Gogh paintings that are usually on display at the Met include 'Self-Portrait With a Straw Hat' (1887), which has not left New York since its acquisition in 1967 due to conservation concerns, and seven Van Gogh works from the Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Collection, including 'Wheat Field With Cypresses' (1889), which are under the provision that they never be loaned out.
The Met's 2018 exhibition also featured 'Irises' (1890) and 'Sunflowers' (1887), which were included in the 'Public Parks, Private Gardens: Paris to Provence' exhibition. This exhibition traced the revival of flower painting in late 19th-century France.
In 2023, the Met hosted another notable Van Gogh exhibition, "Van Gogh's Cypresses," which focused on the artist's cypress trees. This exhibition included iconic paintings such as "Wheat Field with Cypresses" and "The Starry Night," as well as other rarely lent works. Van Gogh's obsession with the cypress trees of Provence, France, where he lived from 1888 to 1890, is well-documented in his letters to his brother, Theo.
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The Met's Van Gogh exhibition in 2018 was the first time in four years that all 16 of the museum's Van Gogh paintings were exhibited together
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as the Met, is located in New York and boasts a wide range of collections, aiming to showcase art that educates, inspires creativity and stimulates ideas. The Met has exhibited numerous paintings by the renowned artist Vincent van Gogh, with his works being in high demand for exhibitions worldwide.
In 2018, the Met held a special exhibition, bringing together all 16 of its Van Gogh paintings for the first time in four years. This was a significant event as it is rare to have so many of the Dutch master's paintings from the department of European paintings in one place at the same time. The exhibition provided a comprehensive overview of Van Gogh's creative process and offered fresh insights that challenged prevailing notions.
The Met's Van Gogh paintings are usually on loan or touring internationally. The exhibition in 2018 was a unique opportunity to see the full range of the museum's Van Gogh collection, including works from different periods of the artist's career. The paintings were displayed in galleries 822 and 825, with eight of the paintings installed in gallery 825.
The exhibition featured some of Van Gogh's most iconic paintings, such as 'Oleanders' (1888), which had recently returned from a showing in Japan, and 'L'Arlésienne' (1888-1889), which had been a highlight of an exhibition in Amsterdam. Other notable works on display included 'Self-Portrait With a Straw Hat' (1887), which has remained in New York since its acquisition in 1967 due to conservation concerns, and seven Van Gogh works from the Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Collection, including 'Wheat Field With Cypresses' (1889).
The Met's 2018 exhibition, bringing together all 16 of its Van Gogh paintings, was a significant event that offered a comprehensive and intimate view of the artist's creative process and the evolution of his artistic growth. It provided a unique opportunity to see these renowned works together in one place, offering a special experience for art enthusiasts and admirers of Van Gogh's work.
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Van Gogh's Self-Portrait With a Straw Hat hasn't left New York since its acquisition in 1967
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as the Met, is located in New York and is home to a range of Van Gogh's paintings. One of these is the Self-Portrait With a Straw Hat, which has been at the Met in New York since its acquisition in 1967 and has never been loaned out.
Van Gogh's Self-Portrait With a Straw Hat was painted in Paris in the summer of 1887. The painting has a fascinating history, having been left by the artist at the apartment of his brother, Theo van Gogh, in Paris in August-September 1887. After Theo's death in 1891, the painting was inherited by his widow, Jo van Gogh-Bonger, and their son, Vincent Willem van Gogh. The painting was then donated by Vincent Willem van Gogh to the Vincent van Gogh Foundation in 1952 and eventually made its way to the Met in 1967.
The Met's curator of 19th-century European painting, Susan Stein, has noted that Self-Portrait With a Straw Hat is one of the Van Gogh paintings that visitors can always expect to see at the museum, as it has not left New York since its acquisition. This is partly due to conservation concerns. The painting is a valuable part of the Met's collection, offering insight into Van Gogh's artistic growth and life.
The Met's collection of Van Gogh paintings is usually on tour internationally, so it is a rare occurrence to have all 16 of the museum's Van Gogh canvases on view together in New York. In 2018, for the first time in four years, the Met's full set of Van Gogh paintings were reunited and exhibited in galleries 822 and 825. This included other notable works such as Oleanders (1888), L'Arlésienne (1888-89), Sunflowers (1887), and Irises (1890).
The Met's Van Gogh collection covers the artist's life and showcases his artistic development. The paintings attract more than six million visitors from around the world each year, providing a unique opportunity to view Van Gogh's work and learn about his creative journey.
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Van Gogh's paintings at the Met showcase the stages of his artistic growth and life
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York houses 16 Vincent van Gogh paintings, which showcase the artist's growth and life. Van Gogh's work is in such high demand that it is rare to find so many of his paintings in one place.
The Met's collection includes 'Wheat Field with Cypresses' (1889), which the artist considered beautiful in terms of lines and proportions. The painting is one of seven Van Gogh works from the Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Collection, acquired with the provision that they never be loaned out. Another painting in this collection is 'Irises' (1890), which was included in the Met's exhibition 'Public Parks, Private Gardens: Paris to Provence'. The exhibition traced the revival of flower painting in late 19th-century France.
The Met's Van Gogh collection also includes 'Sunflowers' (1887) and 'Self-Portrait With a Straw Hat' (1887), which hasn't left New York since its acquisition in 1967 due to conservation concerns. The paintings 'Oleanders' (1888) and 'L'Arlésienne' (1888–89) are also part of the museum's collection, having been exhibited in 'Van Gogh & Japan' in Sapporo, Tokyo, and Kyoto, and in Amsterdam, respectively.
The Met's Van Gogh paintings provide insight into the artist's creative process and his obsession with the cypress trees of Provence, France, where he lived from 1888 to 1890. Van Gogh's letters to his brother, Theo, reveal his "need" to paint these trees, expressing that to capture the "real character" of things, one must observe and paint them for a long time. The artist's fascination with cypress trees is also evident in his drawing from Arles in March 1888, which depicts a pair of cypresses and pollard willows alongside quaint drawbridge scenes and blossoming orchards.
Van Gogh's time in Arles was marked by his battle with mental illness, and he later moved to an asylum in Saint-Rémy in June 1889. Despite this setback, he embarked on a "momentous" painting campaign during this period, creating some of his most iconic images, including 'The Starry Night'.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has 16 Van Gogh paintings in its collection.
In 2018, the Met exhibited all 16 of its Van Gogh paintings for the first time in four years.
Some of the Van Gogh paintings at the Met include "Wheat Field with Cypresses", "The Starry Night", "Oleanders", "L’Arlésienne", "Sunflowers", "Self-Portrait With a Straw Hat", and "Irises".
Yes, the Met does not lend out the seven Van Gogh works from the Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Collection, which include "Wheat Field With Cypresses".
Yes, in 2023, the Met hosted a special exhibition titled "Van Gogh's Cypresses" featuring paintings on loan from other institutions.











































