Gauguin's Chair
Currently on view
Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), Arles, November 1888
oil on canvas, 90.5 cm x 72.7 cm
Credits (obliged to state): Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)
This painting of Paul Gauguin's chair is a 'portrait' of Van Gogh's friend and fellow artist. The modern novels and burning candle on the green seat cushion symbolize the character of the absent painter.
Using mainly red and green hues, Van Gogh tried to suggest the mood of night. He also painted a pendant of this work with a daytime atmosphere: his own simple peasant chair in bright yellow and blue. The two paintings represent the different personalities of the two artists, who quarrelled and went their separate ways soon afterwards.
Van Gogh skilfully captured the bluish shadows and reflected light on the polished wood of the chair. These were created by the gas lighting (a gas lamp can be seen in the background).
- F-number
- F0499
- JH-number
- JH1636
- Object number
- s0048V1962
- Dimensions
- 90.5 cm x 72.7 cm, 110.0 cm x 91.8 cm, 8.4 cm
- Provenance
- Sent by the artist from Arles to his brother Theo van Gogh, Paris, at the end of April 1889; after his death on 25 January 1891, inherited by his widow, Jo van Gogh-Bonger, and their son, Vincent Willem van Gogh, Paris; administered until her death on 2 September 1925 by Jo van Gogh-Bonger, Bussum/Amsterdam/Laren; given on loan by Vincent Willem van Gogh to the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, since 16 December 1930; transferred by Vincent Willem van Gogh on 10 July 1962 to the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, Amsterdam; agreement concluded between the Vincent van Gogh Foundation and the State of the Netherlands, in which the preservation and management of the collection, and its placing in the Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh, to be realized in Amsterdam, is entrusted to the State, 21 July 1962; given on loan until the opening of the museum on 2 June 1973 to the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; on permanent loan to the Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh from 2 June 1973 and at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, since 1 July 1994.
- artist
- Vincent van Gogh
- Credits (obliged to state)
- Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)
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Ghent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten (Gent), Vincent van Gogh. Schilderijen, aquarellen, tekeningen, 19 February-28 March 1965, no. 27
Charleroi, Palais des Beaux-Arts (Charleroi), Vincent van Gogh. Schilderijen, aquarellen, tekeningen, 9 January-9 February 1965, no. 27
New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 2 April-28 June 1964, no. 40
Washington, Washington Gallery of Modern Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 2 February-19 March 1964, no. 40
Humlebaek, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Vincent van Gogh. Malerier og tegninger, 24 October-15 December 1963, no. 40
Kansas City, William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art and Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 7 February-26 March 1963, no. 53
Detroit, Detroit Institute of Arts, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 11 December 1962-29 January 1963, no. 53
Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), Carnegie Institute, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 18 October-4 November 1962, no. 53
Boston, Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 22 March-29 April 1962, no. 53
Buffalo (New York), Albright Art Gallery, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 30 January-11 March 1962, no. 53
Cleveland, Cleveland Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 5 December 1961-14 January 1962, no. 53
Baltimore, Baltimore Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 18 October-26 November 1961, no. 53
Toronto, The Art Gallery of Toronto, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings-Drawings / Tableaux-Dessins, 10 February-12 March 1961, no. 56
Winnipeg, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings-Drawings / Tableaux-Dessins, 29 December 1960-31 January 1961, no. 56
Ottawa, National Gallery of Canada, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings-Drawings / Tableaux-Dessins, 17 November-18 December 1960, no. 56
Montréal, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings-Drawings / Tableaux-Dessins, 6 October-6 November 1960, no. 56
Utrecht, Centraal Museum, Vincent van Gogh schilderijen en tekeningen, verzameling Ir. V.W. van Gogh, 18 December 1959-1 February 1960, no. 45
Aix-en-Provence, Pavillon de Vendôme, Vincent van Gogh en Provence, 3 October-30 November 1959, no. 22
Seattle, Seattle Art Museum, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 7 March-19 April 1959, no. 57
Portland (Oregon), Portland Art Museum (Oregon), Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 28 January-1 March 1959, no. 57
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 10 December 1958-18 January 1959, no. 57
San Francisco, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 6 October-30 November 1958, no. 57
Mons, Museum voor Schoone Kunsten, Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). Son art et ses amis, 22 March-5 May 1958, no. 31
Schiedam, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Vincent van Gogh, 21 December 1957-27 January 1958, no. 33
Leiden, Museum De Lakenhal, Vincent van Gogh, 9 November-16 December 1957, no. 33
Marseille, Musée Cantini, Vincent van Gogh, 12 March-28 April 1957, no. 55
Breda, Cultureel Centrum De Beyerd, Vincent van Gogh, 2-24 February 1957, no. 60
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Manchester (England), Manchester City Art Gallery, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings & Drawings, Mainly from the Collection of Ir. V.W. van Gogh, 17 December 1955-4 February 1956, no. 53
Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings & Drawings, Mainly from the Collection of Ir. V.W. van Gogh, 29 October-10 December 1955, no. 53
Antwerp, Zaal Comité voor Artistieke Werking, Vincent van Gogh, 7 May-19 June 1955, no. 266
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Zurich, Kunsthaus Zürich, Vincent van Gogh, 9 October-21 November 1954, no. 52
Toledo (Ohio), Toledo Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890, 7 March-30 April 1954, no. 110
Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Philadelphia Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890, 2 January-28 February 1954, no. 110
Saint Louis, City Art Museum of Saint Louis, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890, 17 October-13 December 1953, no. 110
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Eeuwfeest Vincent van Gogh, 23 July-20 September 1953, no. 114
Otterlo, Kröller-Müller Museum, Eeuwfeest Vincent van Gogh, 24 May-19 July 1953, no. 114
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Arles, Musée Réattu, Vincent van Gogh en Provence, 5-27 May 1951, no. 49
Grenoble, Musée de Grenoble, Vincent van Gogh, 30 March-2 May 1951, no. 49
Lyon, Musée de Lyon, Vincent van Gogh, 5 February-27 March 1951, no. 49
Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, Vincent van Gogh Paintings and Drawings. A Special Loan Exhibition, 1 February-16 April 1950, no. 89
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh Paintings and Drawings. A Special Loan Exhibition, 21 October 1949-15 January 1950, no. 89
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Oslo, Kunstnernes Hus, Vincent van Gogh, 24 April-15 May 1948, no. 38
Bergen (Norway), Kunstforening, Vincent van Gogh, 23 March-18 April 1948, no. 38
Glasgow, City Art Gallery, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890. An Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings, 21 February-14 March 1948, no. 61
Birmingham (England), City Art Gallery, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890. An Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings, 24 January-14 February 1948, no. 61
London, Tate Gallery, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890. An Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings, 10 December 1947-14 January 1948, no. 61
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