The darkest of days can sometimes have the most beautiful of outcomes – and this was certainly the case for Vincent van Gogh. The legendary painter was extremely troubled during the final years of his life, but that didn’t stop him from creating work that was both mesmerising and could stand the test of time.
This includes Fields near the Alpilles, which is officially set to go up for auction in May. The piece will surely command a lot of attention and it is estimated that it will fetch around $45 million when it goes under the hammer at Christie’s in New York.
The price tag, of course, will be an inspiration for all artists – young and old – to keep following their passion. However, the tragic story behind it will no doubt also be a great source of inspiration for those who are going through tough times and question what they can produce.
After all, van Gogh was going through a period of extreme hardship when he painted Fields near the Alpilles in 1889. In fact, he was institutionalised at an asylum located near the Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in Southern France. Sadly, it’s this time in his life that most people associate with van Gogh, particularly the incident where he cut off his ear.
Despite the trauma that came from battling with his mental health, van Gogh was still able to set up his easel on the grounds of the asylum and create the oil-on-canvas painting. In a letter to his brother, he described it as ‘a wheatfield with a background of lilac mountains and a dark tree’.
A year later van Gogh took his own life in 1890. The painting, however, had by that time been gifted to his friend Joseph Roulin. Roulin would sell the work in 1900 and since then it’s remained in private hands, including a stint where it was owned by Yves Saint Laurent.
There will surely be a lot of interest in the piece, which is said to perfectly capture van Gogh’s view of nature during this time. Christie’s said: “He transformed the world around him into dazzling visions of often heightened colour conveyed with evermore animated brushstrokes. At this time, painting and nature itself took on central importance to the artist.”
While the $45m price tag might seem lofty, the painting won’t even come close to topping the value of van Gogh’s Portrait of Doctor Paul Gachet, which commanded $75m when it went up for auction in 1990. This makes it the 16th most valuable painting ever sold when adjusted for inflation.
Fields near the Alpilles might have a tragic backstory, but it’s also a good lesson about how art can be much more than just a hobby or a vocation. Instead, it can be a means of escape, a way to channel a person’s feelings and even a way of proving that there’s beauty even in the darkest of days.
We hope all our artists and visitors will remember this when at Zari Gallery in London’s Fitzorvia. It’s a hub where talent is celebrated and stories are told – and there’s a place for everyone here.
