The Philadelphia Museum of Art is home to one of the world’s most extensive collections of works by the renowned Dutch artist, Vincent van Gogh. Spanning from his early drawings in 1879 to his last works in 1890, the museum holds a total of nine van Gogh pieces.
The oldest piece in the museum’s collection is a drawing titled “Head of a Young Peasant with Cap” that was completed in 1879. This piece displays van Gogh’s early mastery of pencil and charcoal and is one of only two works by the artist that were done before he began painting. The second piece from this period, “Head of a Peasant Woman with Bonnet,” was completed in 1880 and is also part of the museum’s collection.
Van Gogh began painting in July of 1881, and his first work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art is an oil painting entitled “The Old Church Tower at Nuenen.” The work was completed during 1884-85 and features one of his earliest experiments with color and light. It marks an important milestone for van Gogh as it was his first depiction of a Dutch landscape.
In addition to these early pieces, the museum also holds several other works from the later periods of van Gogh’s career. “The Garden at Arles” (1888) displays his bold use of color and brushstrokes while “The Red Vineyard at Arles (1888) showcases his ability to capture light and texture on canvas. Both are considered major works by van Gogh scholars as they show how he developed as an artist during this period.
The final three pieces held by the museum were all completed during 1889-90, which marked the end of van Gogh’s life and career. These include two still lifes— “Still Life: Vase with Daisies and Poppies” (1889) and “Vase with Carnations” (1890)—as well as a self-portrait called “Self Portrait with Straw Hat” (1890). These three works show how much progress he made in just two years as an artist before tragically ending his own life in 1890 at age 37.
Conclusion: In total, there are nine van Gogh pieces held by The Philadelphia Museum of Art, ranging from his earliest drawings from 1879 through to some of his last works from 1889-90. This collection provides an invaluable insight into how much progress he made as an artist over such a short period time before ultimately taking his own life at age 37.