Van Gogh, Irises
Getty Conversations


Behind this iconic painting by Vincent van Gogh is the artist’s inspiring story about healing.

 

A conversation with Dr. Scott Allan, Associate Curator, Paintings Department, Getty Museum and Dr. Steven Zucker, Executive Director, Smarthistory, in front of Irises, 1889, Vincent van Gogh. Oil on canvas, 74.3 x 94.3 cm. Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

Behind this iconic painting by Vincent van Gogh is the artist’s inspiring story about healing, as he struggled with the challenges of a psychiatric disorder. Learn more about this period in his life in which he produced some of his most famed work.

Getty has joined forces with Smarthistory to bring you an in-depth look at select works within our collection, whether you’re looking to learn more at home or want to make art more accessible in your classroom. This six-part video series illuminates art history concepts through fun, unscripted conversations between art historians, curators, archaeologists, and artists, committed to a fresh take on the history of visual arts.


Additional resources

View this work on the Getty Museum’s website

A Rare Opportunity to Study Van Gogh’s Irises (Getty Art Stories, May 18, 2021)

Jennifer Helvey, Irises: Vincent van Gogh in the Garden (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Musuem 2009)


Smarthistory images for teaching and learning:

[flickr_tags user_id=”82032880@N00″ tags=”irisesgetty,”]

More Smarthistory images…

Cite this page as: Dr. Scott Allan and Dr. Steven Zucker, "Van Gogh, Irises
Getty Conversations," in Smarthistory, March 28, 2022, accessed March 19, 2024, https://smarthistory.org/van-gogh-irises-getty-conversations/.