Examine Getty’s much-loved painting, Irises by Vincent Van Gogh, from the perspective of modern conservation science. This exhibition shows how the artist’s understanding of light and color informed his painting practice, and how conservators and scientists working together can harness the power of light with analytical tools that uncover the artist’s materials and working methods. Lastly, this exhibition reveals how light has irrevocably changed some of the colors in Irises. A painting we thought we knew so well has suddenly become quite unfamiliar.
This exhibition is presented in English and Spanish. Esta exhibición se presenta en inglés y en español.
Southern California’s landmark arts event, PST ART, returns in September 2024, presenting over 70 exhibitions from organizations across the region exploring the intersections of art and science, both past and present. PST ART is presented by Getty. For more information about PST ART: Art & Science Collide, please visit pst.art
A CLOSE LOOK AT IRISES
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VIDEO
Therapeutic Nature: Art and the Garden
On May 8, 1889, Vincent van Gogh entered a psychiatric hospital near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France. The next day he wrote to his brother Theo, stating that he had begun painting “violet irises.” The hospital garden offered solace and inspiration to Van Gogh during his stay. That tradition continues today, with artistic practice as part of patient recovery.
Examining Irises
Get a glimpse of the technical analysis of Irises performed by conservators and scientists during the Covid-19 mandated closure of the Getty Museum in 2021.
What Can Science Tell Us About Van Gogh's Irises?
Learn how Getty scientists used a chemical-imaging technique, X-ray fluorescence scanning (XRF), to analyze Van Gogh’s Irises. XRF measures the distribution of chemical elements across the painting, which, when combined with knowledge of materials available to the artist, suggests how he created certain colors.
PST x Getty x Smarthistory: Insights into Van Gogh’s Irises
A conversation with Devi Ormond, conservator and researcher, and Beth Harris, art historian, about Van Gogh’s experience in Saint-Rémy, the iconic painting he made there, and how his choice of materials impacts what we see today.
Exhibition Resources
Learn more about the exhibition.
To request a checklist of objects, please contact: paintings@getty.edu.
Information on Getty Museum works of art can be found through a
collection search