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Illustration
An 1889 oil on canvas painting, Bedroom in Arles, by Vincent van Gogh (1853-90), the Dutch post-impressionist artist. Painted in October, this was the artist's own room in the Yellow House he rented. He has painted all the contents of the room shifted towards the walls and so a central open space is left. The chairs are curiously angled towards the bed as if awaiting sitters. The furniture is often given an outline using Prussian blue. The scene has the unusual approach (but not for the artist) of showing the view from slightly above. Vincent gives the following motivation for the painting in a letter to his brother Theo:
...here everything depends on colour and by simplfying it I am lending it more style, creating an overall impression of rest or sleep. In fact, a look at the picture ought to rest the mind, or rather the imagination. (LT 554F)
(Musée d'Orsay, Paris)
License & Copyright
Based on Wikipedia content that has been reviewed, edited, and republished.
Original image by Musée d'Orsay. Uploaded by Mark Cartwright, published on 17 March 2022. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Public Domain. This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.
Related Images
Langlois Bridge at Arles with Women Washing by van Gogh
Hospital in Arles by van Gogh
The Yellow House by van Gogh
Hadrian, Arles
Arles Amphitheatre
Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear by van Gogh
Cite This Work
APA Style
d'Orsay, M. (2022, March 17). Bedroom in Arles by Van Gogh. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15466/bedroom-in-arles-by-van-gogh/
Chicago Style
d'Orsay, Musée. "Bedroom in Arles by Van Gogh." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified March 17, 2022. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15466/bedroom-in-arles-by-van-gogh/.
MLA Style
d'Orsay, Musée. "Bedroom in Arles by Van Gogh." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 17 Mar 2022. Web. 31 Dec 2025.
