Isabella Flores
Vincent van Gogh painted three versions of his bedroom in Arles, France, also known as the Yellow House. The first version, also known as the Amsterdam version, was painted in October 1888, a month after he moved into the Yellow House. The second version, identical in scale but distinct from the original, is now one of the icons of the Art Institute's permanent collection. The third version, on a slightly reduced scale, was created as a gift for his mother and sister.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Versions | 3 |
| First Version | Painted in October 1888 |
| First Version Location | Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam |
| Second Version | Painted in September 1889 |
| Second Version Location | Art Institute of Chicago |
| Third Version | Painted in September 1889 |
| Third Version Location | Musée d'Orsay, Paris |
| Reason for Multiple Versions | Water damage to the first version, and Van Gogh's desire to create smaller versions for his family |
| Colour Scheme | Originally pale violet walls, yellow bed and chairs, lemon light green sheets and pillows, scarlet bedspread, green window, orange washbasin, blue tank, lilac doors |
| Discolouration | The walls and doors were originally purple, but have discoloured to blue over time |
| Perspective | Deliberately "flattened" by Van Gogh, with an odd angle of the rear wall |
| Inspiration | Van Gogh's desire to express "repose" or "sleep" |
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What You'll Learn
Van Gogh painted three versions of his bedroom
Vincent van Gogh painted three versions of his bedroom in Arles, France, also known as the Yellow House. The first version, called the Amsterdam version, was painted in October 1888, a month after he moved into the Yellow House. This was the first time the artist had a home of his own, and he was delighted with his new living space. In a letter to his brother, Theo, van Gogh wrote that the painting ""amused me enormously" and that he had painted it to express "absolute repose" or "sleep". The original painting was damaged by flooding in the Yellow House, so van Gogh created a second version in September 1889. This version is identical in scale to the first but features cooler colours, reflecting the artist's sad state of mind at the time. Three weeks later, van Gogh created a third version on a slightly smaller scale as a gift for his mother and sister.
The bedroom depicted in the paintings was not rectangular but trapezoid-shaped, with an obtuse angle in the left-hand corner of the front wall and an acute angle on the right. Van Gogh deliberately "flattened" the interior and left out the shadows to make the composition resemble a Japanese print. He also chose to paint the walls pale violet, the door lilac, the window green, the bed and chairs yellow, the bedspread scarlet, the washbasin orange, and the tank blue. The paintings within the painting include portraits of his friends Eugène Boch and Paul-Eugène Milliet, as well as a self-portrait.
All three versions of "The Bedroom" were brought together for an exhibition entitled "Van Gogh's Bedrooms" at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2016. The first version is now in the collection of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the second version is owned by the Art Institute of Chicago, and the third version is in the collection of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
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The first version was painted in October 1888
Vincent van Gogh painted three versions of his bedroom in Arles, France, with the first version being painted in October 1888. This first version is often referred to as the ""Amsterdam version"" and is currently held in the collection of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
Van Gogh moved into the "Yellow House" in Arles in May 1888, and it was here that he first slept in his own bed in mid-September. He began renting the house in May but initially used it as a studio as it was unfurnished. In August, he bought two beds, one for himself and one for a guest—a fellow artist. The first version of the painting was, therefore, conceived a month after he moved into the house.
The painting depicts Van Gogh's bedroom at 2, Place Lamartine in Arles, known as the Yellow House. The door on the right led to the upper floor and the staircase, and the door on the left was the guest room prepared for Gauguin. The window in the front wall overlooked Place Lamartine and its public gardens. The room was not rectangular but trapezoid-shaped, with an obtuse angle in the left-hand corner of the front wall and an acute angle on the right.
Van Gogh was very pleased with the painting, describing it as "one of the best" he had done. He wrote to his brother Theo about his aims and means for the painting, explaining that he wanted to reproduce his bedroom with an abundance of colour:
> "Well, I have thought that on watching the composition we stop thinking and imagining. I have painted the walls pale violet. The ground with checked material. The wooden bed and the chairs, yellow like fresh butter; the sheet and the pillows, lemon light green. The bedspread, scarlet coloured. The window, green. The washbasin, orangey; the tank, blue. The doors, lilac. And, that is all. There is not anything else in this room with closed shutters. The square pieces of furniture must express unswerving rest; also the portraits on the wall, the mirror, the bottle, and some costumes."
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The second version was a copy of the damaged first
Vincent van Gogh created three versions of his painting "The Bedroom". The first version, also known as the “Amsterdam version”, was painted in October 1888. This version suffered water damage due to flooding in the Yellow House, which was located in Arles, France.
The second version was created in a state of mental distress for Van Gogh. The Yellow House was intended to be a home shared with fellow artist Gauguin, but Gauguin never came. Van Gogh was admitted to the Saint Rémy hospital, where he decided to paint the second version of "The Bedroom". The cooler colours and frenetic brushstrokes in this version reflect his sad state of mind. The paintings on the wall are not as neatly hung, and the portraits of friends have been replaced by a self-portrait, reflecting his sense of solitude and displacement.
The third version was created three weeks after the second and was a smaller-scale reproduction intended as a gift for his mother and sister. This version is now part of the collection of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
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The third was a gift for his mother and sister
Vincent van Gogh created three distinct versions of his painting "The Bedroom". The first, now in the collection of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, was painted in October 1888, a month after the artist moved into his "Yellow House" in Arles, France.
The second version, belonging to the Art Institute of Chicago, was painted a year later on the same scale and is almost identical to the first. The only known difference is that the paintings on the wall are not as neatly hung, and the friends' portraits are replaced by a self-portrait, reflecting Van Gogh's solitude.
The third version, a smaller canvas in the collection of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, was created as a gift for his mother and sister. This smaller reproduction was finished in late September 1889 and is not an exact copy of the previous two. Van Gogh had decided to make small copies of some of his best works for his family to decorate their home. This version includes a miniature portrait to the left, which recalls Van Gogh's "Peasant of Zundert" self-portrait. The painting to the right cannot be convincingly linked to any existing painting by Van Gogh.
All three versions of "The Bedroom" were brought together for an exhibition entitled "Van Gogh's Bedrooms" at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2016. The exhibition featured related works and a digital reconstruction of his bedroom.
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The paintings were exhibited together in 2016
Vincent van Gogh created three versions of his painting "The Bedroom". The first version, also known as the “Amsterdam version”, was painted in October 1888. The second version, owned by the Art Institute of Chicago, was painted in September 1889. The third version, a smaller canvas, is in the collection of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
In 2016, all three versions of "The Bedroom" were exhibited together for the first time at the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition, titled "Van Gogh's Bedrooms", featured the three paintings as well as related works and a digital reconstruction of van Gogh's bedroom.
The exhibition provided a unique opportunity to view the three versions side by side and offered insights into van Gogh's artistic process and the evolution of his style. The paintings differ in their colour palettes, brushstrokes, and details, reflecting the artist's emotional state and the changing appearance of his bedroom over time.
Van Gogh's "The Bedroom" series holds significant artistic value and provides a glimpse into the artist's personal space and state of mind during his time in Arles. The exhibition "Van Gogh's Bedrooms" not only showcased the three versions of the composition but also enriched our understanding of van Gogh's life and work during that period.
The exhibition "Van Gogh's Bedrooms" attracted worldwide attention and contributed to a deeper appreciation of the artist's oeuvre. By presenting the three versions together, the exhibition offered a comprehensive view of van Gogh's creative journey and the variations in his interpretation of the same subject matter.
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Frequently asked questions
Van Gogh painted three versions of his bedroom.
The first version is called the "Amsterdam version" and is currently in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The second version is in the Art Institute of Chicago. The third is a smaller canvas in the collection of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
Van Gogh painted the first version in October 1888.
The first version suffered water damage. Theo, Van Gogh's brother, suggested that he paint a copy before reinforcing the original with a lining. Van Gogh then created the second version in early September 1889. The third version was created three weeks later as a gift for his mother and sister.
Van Gogh had just moved into his "Yellow House" in Arles, France, marking the first time the artist had a home of his own. He enthusiastically decorated the room and painted a suite of canvases to fill the walls. After completing this task, he spent two and a half days in bed and was inspired to paint a picture of his bedroom.
