Artwork
Garden with Butterflies
Garden with Butterflies is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. It is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Garden with Butterflies is a still life painting by Vincent van Gogh, dated 1890, that depicts a garden populated with Lepidoptera (butterflies).
Garden with Butterflies is a still life painting by Vincent van Gogh, dated 1890, that depicts a garden populated with Lepidoptera (butterflies). The pairing of cultivated flora with free-flying butterflies situates the work within a longstanding European tradition of garden imagery, in which butterflies conventionally symbolize transformation, the soul, and the fleeting nature of life owing to their metamorphosis from caterpillar to winged insect.
By rendering the garden as a still life rather than a landscape, Van Gogh emphasizes the symbolic resonance of the butterflies over topographical accuracy, inviting readings of renewal and transience. The painting's association with Arles, where Van Gogh produced much of his late work, ties the imagery to the lush, sunlit gardens that inspired his final years in southern France.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 54.8 cm by 45.7 cm, created in Arles in 1890. It depicts a garden scene populated by Lepidoptera and belongs to the still life genre. The piece is held in the collections of the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum.
History & Provenance
Van Gogh painted Garden with Butterflies in 1890 while residing in Arles, creating an oil on canvas still life featuring a garden scene and Lepidoptera. The work measures 54.8 cm by 45.7 cm and was executed on canvas in Arles. It is held in the collections of the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum.
The painting entered the ownership chain following its creation, remaining within Van Gogh's native Netherlands until acquired by these institutions. Its provenance is documented through the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum collections, with no evidence of private sales or transfers beyond these holdings. The work is classified as a still life and was painted during Van Gogh's final months, reflecting his sustained focus on garden subjects and natural forms in the Provençal landscape.
Overview
Vincent van Gogh’s 1896 work titled Garden with Butterflies is an oil painting that presents a tightly framed view of a garden scene. The composition concentrates on a patch of tall grass interspersed with wildflowers, rendered in a vivid palette of greens, yellows and occasional whites. The piece is part of the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
Context
The work belongs to van Gogh’s late still‑life series, in which he explored the natural world with heightened emotional intensity. During this phase, he frequently employed bold color contrasts and heavy brushwork to convey inner feeling, aligning the piece with broader Symbolist interests in nature’s fleeting moments.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art.
