There has been a lot of attention paid to sunflowers lately, and for good reason as they hav come to symbolize the strength and endurance of the people of Ukraine. But the symbol of the sunflower in the history of art is not new.
Why did Van Gogh paint sunflowers?
What is the symbolism of the sunflower that resonated with Van Gogh?
Van Gogh’s first career was as a minister. He wasn’t very good at it, and eventually was fired.
So, he turned to painting as a form of ministry. He figured if he couldn’t preach people to God, he’d paint heaven for them.
Sunflowers follow the sun as it moves through the sky. So, they have historically been associated with religious devotion.
This is especially true in the Dutch painting tradition of which Van Gogh was a prodigy. This sunflower painting is by the 17th century Dutch artist Maria van Oosterwijck.
I thought of Van Gogh when I painted this small,
I thought of Van Gogh when I painted this small,
6 x 6 inch sunflower painting as part of my Mother’s Day flower series.
This paining sold to a lovely collector. If you’d like a famous artist inspired flower painting for your mom, click to join my mailing list. Subscribers get first dibs.
