Vincent exhibited his friends' art at Grand Bouillon Restaurant du Chalet in Paris. 🍽️However, the exhibition ended abruptly due to customer complaints and the owner's criticism. Vincent swiftly removed the paintings. 👋 😠

Inside the Van Gogh family home 🏡 When Vincent returned to his parent’s house the atmosphere was often tense. Vincent easily took offense at his father's comments. He had the feeling his family consisted mainly of 'people who keep up a position', he wrote. He didn't fit in.

Trying to get a grip on time. ⏱️ ‘Lately I’ve been working a lot and quickly; by doing so I’m trying to express the desperately swift passage of things in modern life’, Vincent wrote to his sister Willemien (1890).

Peek-a-boo! 🔦 UV light: a friend and foe to paintings. Overexposure can cause discolouration, but it can reveal previous restorations. (2) With the support of our partner ASML we can continue extensive research to better understand the condition of Vincent’s artworks.

Matthew Wong’s ‘See You on the Other Side’ depicts a lone figure gazing across a white expanse resembling a frozen lake. Wong’s interest in otherworldly landscapes is evident as he hints at an intention to disappear, offering a glimpse into his mind and perspective on life.

Caution: paint levels reach new heights! 🏔️😉 Van Gogh's abundant use of paint increased after he was inspired by Adolphe Monticelli's vibrant bouquets, crafted with thick paint and bold brushstrokes. This is evident in 'Vase with Chinese Asters and Gladioli', 1886.

✍️ Vincent wrote about the profound impact of big and small emotions on our lives, and how shared experiences bind us together. He said that we are all 'companions in fate in many respects'. Read more here: ow.ly/XFy550R367B

Siesta time! 😴 'The Siesta' by Van Gogh (after Millet) shows a serene scene of two people resting after working hard in the fields. Let’s follow suit! Taking breaks is vital for well-being and productivity. 💆‍♀️💆‍♂️ 🖼️ 1890 © Musèe d’Orsay

✏️ Van Gogh's 'A Guinguette' sketch depicts a Parisian outdoor café with benches, trees, and customers. The brownish-yellow paper was originally blue-grey, see edges (2), which creates a unique atmosphere, enhanced by Vincent's use of bright white chalk accents (3).

Vincent's small studio in the psychiatric hospital in Saint-Remy (FR). 🪟 With over 30 vacant rooms, Vincent was allowed to use one as a workspace overlooking the garden. The second photo, taken in 1950, shows the window of the little room where Vincent had his studio. 📸

The oldest surviving letter from Vincent to Theo, written on 29 September 1872 📜 Thanks to Theo, around 820 of Vincent's letters have been preserved, with 658 of them being addressed to Theo himself.

Did you know? ⛰️ Van Gogh used the thick paint in the foreground to capture the overturned clods of earth!

1. Detail of 'Ploughed Fields (‘The Furrows’)', 1888.
2. 'Ploughed Fields (‘The Furrows’)', 1888.

In The Hague, Vincent studied with his cousin-in-law Anton Mauve, an artist. Assigned a still life, he impressed Mauve, who admitted, 'I always thought you were a bore, but now I see that this isn’t so’. Vincent cherished this unconventional compliment. 🖼️ © Kröller-Müller Museum

A fun little detail that you might overlook. 💐 Vincent made three different paintings, with three different bouquets. But did you notice the vase is the same in all three?
1 © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
2 © Musée d’art et d’histoire, Geneva
3 © Kröller-Müller Museum

🔄 Van Gogh did not have much experience with lithography and made a beginner's mistake. The image is mirrored when you make a print, and he forget to take that into account. Oops!

Today marks 150 years of Impressionism! 🎉 Critic Louis Leroy once dismissed such paintings as mere ‘impressions’. He ironically coined the movement's name, which is now celebrated worldwide.
‘Vive l’impressionnisme! Masterpieces from Dutch Collections’, on view from 11 Oct.

Matthew Wong painted to escape from the challenges of daily life. 'Basically, life is hell all around, except for the moments in front of the canvas’, he wrote. Painting opened up a world of beauty and depth, where Wong could retreat from feeling misunderstood and rejected. 🎨

Today is Slow Art Day! ⏳ Let's pause, breathe, and immerse ourselves in a painting, observing each brushstroke. This guided meditation will transport you through Vincent's 'Garden of the Asylum'...
Did it feel too short? 🧘‍♂️Enjoy an extended version here: ow.ly/2HTI50QYMf0

🚂✉️ In Vincent's time, new technologies emerged, making communication via post easier and faster. The Van Goghs shared their lives in lengthy letters. They often included items such as books, cigars and even chocolate, amongst other things.

Vincent's floral journey started in Paris (1886-88). Inspired by French artists, he painted vibrant flower still lifes for sale. The subject was ideal for experiments with new colours and painting techniques. Vincent created over 35 flower still lifes in the summer of 1886. 💐