Sotheby’s to auction major Van Gogh painting

Vincent van Gogh, Still Life with Daisies and Poppies, 1890

Sotheby’s will offer Vincent van Gogh’s Still Life, Vase with Daisies and Poppies in its evening sale of Impressionist and Modern Art in New York on November 4. Painted at the home of Dr Paul Gachet just weeks before the end of Van Gogh’s life, the painting’s richly coloured bouquets of wildflowers are a reflection of the artist’s mental state at the time. The resulting composition teems with the intense energy, emotion and sensitivity of this creative genius at the height of his short but renowned careers.

Still Life is one of the few works that Van Gogh sold during his lifetime, and is one of only a handful of great works by the artist to appear at auction in recent decades. The painting comes to auction this November with a pre-sale estimate of $30/50 million.

Simon Shaw, co-head of Sotheby’s Worldwide Impressionist & Modern Art Department, commented: “Still Life, Vase with Daisies and Poppies radiates the exuberance and passion found in Van Gogh’s greatest and most coveted works. The vibrant composition captures in sharp relief the intensity of the artist at the height of his mania, only weeks before his tragic end. Still Life has remained in the same private collection for more than two decades, which adds again to its appeal for today’s market. We are privileged to present it to collectors across the globe this autumn.”