There are pieces of artwork drifting through galleries around the world that
have become nearly synonymous with the artists name and techniques. The various
paintings of Sunflowers and Vincent van Gogh are a perfect example of this. Not
only can one make a mental connection between the artists name and painting but
also between the artist and their influence on the development of art through
these paintings.
Upon looking at these paintings one begins to notice aspects that seem to flow
from one piece to another. The colors are vibrant and express emotions typically
associated with the life of sunflowers: bright yellows of the full bloom to arid
browns of wilting and death; all of the stages woven through these polar
opposites are presented. Perhaps this very technique is what draws one into the
painting; the fulfillment of seeing all angles of the spectrum of life and in turn reaching a deeper understanding of how all living things are tied together.
Although Van Gogh's sunflower paintings are very similar in many aspects, each
stands out as its own unique work of art. Van Gogh began painting sunflowers
after he left Holland for France in pursuit of creating an artistic community.
The firsts were created to decorate his friend Paul Gauguin's bedroom.
Cultural usage
The sunflower is the state flower of the U.S. state of Kansas, and one of the city flowers of Kitakyushu, Japan.
The sunflower is often used as a symbol of green ideology, much as the red rose is a symbol of socialism or social democracy. The sunflower is also the symbol of the Vegan Society.
