Oil on Canvas, 1890
Vincent Van Gogh

Vase with Irises, now located at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, is one of the works painted while he was a patient at the psychiatric clinic in Saint-Rémy, a town near Arles. During this period, Van Gogh painted many works depicting irises. In this painting, he placed the large bunch of violet irises against a harmonious pink background. But unfortunately, over time, the pink background faded to almost white. Another similar work, Irises Against a Yellow Background, was completed during the same time period.