Wheatfield with Crows
Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), Auvers-sur-Oise, July 1890
oil on canvas, 50.5 cm x 103 cm
Credits (obliged to state): Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)
Wheatfield with Crows is one of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings. It is often claimed that this was his very last work. The menacing sky, the crows and the dead-end path are said to refer to the end of his life approaching. But that is just a persistent myth. In fact, he made several other works after this one.
Van Gogh did want his wheatfields under stormy skies to express ‘sadness, extreme loneliness’, but at the same time he wanted to show what he considered ‘healthy and fortifying about the countryside’.
Van Gogh used powerful colour combinations in this painting: the blue sky contrasts with the yellow-orange wheat, while the red of the path is intensified by the green bands of grass.
Yesterday was the official 50th anniversary day for this year, Friday June 2nd, which was a Saturday in 1973.
From their newsletter:
1973.The year in which the Netherlands experienced car-free Sundays, the first mobile conversation took place, and Bruce Springsteen launched his debut album. It is also the year in which on Saturday 2 June the Van Gogh Museum opened its doors.*
Today, Friday 2 June is a grand celebration: the Van Gogh Museum is celebrating its 50th anniversary! A special moment for the museum, entirely dedicated to Van Gogh and his contemporaries.
*During the festivities at the Museumplein, Princess Beatrix was presented with a sunflower, just like her mother, Queen Juliana, fifty years ago at the museum’s opening.
Gift for the city
Earlier in the day, museum employees distributed tens of thousands of sunflowers, transforming the Museumplein into a colorful sea of flowers. This treat highlights the Van Gogh Museum’s appreciation for the public that has been visiting the museum for years and valuing Van Gogh’s art.
As a gift to the city of Amsterdam, a spectacular drone performance, designed by Studio DRIFT, will take place at 11:00 p.m. in the evening. The show highlights the innovative and creative spirit represented by the Van Gogh Museum.
The video recording will be available on our Youtube channel from 01:00 a.m.
Did you know?
— Did you know that since its opening in 1973, the museum has welcomed a total of 53 million Van Gogh enthusiasts? That in addition to international celebrities like Barack and Michelle Obama, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, George Clooney, Adele, and Justin Bieber, we have also hosted the residents of Sesame Street?
— Did you know that “Where can I see Starry Night?” is the most frequently asked question by visitors? However, Starry Night is not part of the museum’s collection. The world-famous artwork hangs in the MoMA in New York.
— Did you know that the Van Gogh Museum has received and answered approximately 5500 authenticity requests? Among them were found ten works by Van Gogh, including three paintings.
‘Find things beautiful as much as you can, most people find too little beautiful.’
Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo, London, beginning of January 1874
