There has been a lot of attention paid to sunflowers lately, and for good reason as sunflowers have come to symbolize the strength and endurance of the people of Ukraine, whose President, Vladimir Zelensky, has been nominated for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
But the symbol of the sunflower in the history of art is not new. Sunflowers represent religious devotion because they follow the sun as it moves across the sky. In this way, sunflowers appear to be worshiping the sun, or for religious devotees, worshiping God.
April showers, after Van Gogh, 9 x 9 x 1 inches.
Why did Van Gogh paint sunflowers?
What is the symbolism of the sunflower that resonated with Van Gogh?
Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers (1889). Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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 about God to the people, he’d paint heaven for them instead. Sunflowers follow the sun as it moves through the sky. So, they have historically been associated with religious devotion.
Sunflowers following the sun. Sunflowers turn to face the sun as it moves across the sky.
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.
Maria Van Oosterwijck, Vanitas with sunflower and jewelry box, 1665.
As a Dutch citizen and former art dealer, Vincent was aware of the many Dutch artists who included sunflowers in their paintings. His own paintings pay tribute to his follow artists and this devotional symbol.
