See Van Gogh's Sunflowers at the National Gallery

Van Gogh’s Sunflowers are a celebrated series of vase paintings from 1888 to 89, with major versions on view in London, Amsterdam, Munich, Philadelphia, and Tokyo.

Firsthand Pick

Why this one matters

The London version, painted in 1888, is generally the most famous. It became one of the National Gallery’s most popular and most reproduced paintings, and Van Gogh himself was especially proud of it. Its almost entirely yellow palette, thick textured brushwork, and flowers ranging from full bloom to decay helped make it one of the defining images of Van Gogh’s art.

Hannah's take

I’m not much of an art expert, but even I was a little stunned by how many paintings I recognized. Van Gogh’s Sunflowers is only the beginning, there’s also the Arnolfini Portrait, The Fighting Temeraire, The Ambassadors, The Hay Wain, and Leonardo’s Virgin of the Rocks. It feels like one world famous painting after another. I may not understand all the technique or art history behind them, but seeing so many originals in one place was genuinely overwhelming in the best way. And when you step back outside into Trafalgar Square, one small sign of changing London: feeding the pigeons is no longer allowed.

See Van Gogh's Sunflowers at the National Gallery

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