Van Gogh's Empty Chair Paintings: The Story Behind the Yellow House Breakup
In November 1888, Vincent van Gogh created two companion pieces: Van Gogh's Chair, which illustrates a simple chair alongside a pipe, and Gauguin's Chair, showcasing an armchair with books and a candle. These paintings acted as stand-ins for Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, whom he encountered in Paris in November 1887. After relocating to Arles in February 1888, Gauguin arrived in October. Their artistic styles differed significantly, with Van Gogh emphasizing nature and Gauguin prioritizing imagination. Following a dispute on December 23, 1888, Van Gogh severed his left ear. He was subsequently hospitalized and later admitted to a psychiatric facility, ultimately taking his own life on July 29, 1890. Van Gogh's Chair resides at the National Gallery in London, while Gauguin's Chair is housed at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
Key facts
- Van Gogh painted Van Gogh's Chair and Gauguin's Chair in November 1888 as pendant works intended to hang side by side.
- Van Gogh and Gauguin met in Paris in November 1887 at an exhibition Van Gogh organized at the Grand Bouillon-Restaurant du Chalet on the Avenue de Clichy.
- Van Gogh moved to Arles in February 1888 and rented the Yellow House; Gauguin joined him there in October 1888.
- Van Gogh hung two Sunflowers canvases in Gauguin's bedroom with his name signed on the vase.
- On December 23, 1888, after a confrontation in which Van Gogh threatened Gauguin with a razor, Van Gogh cut off his left ear; Gauguin returned to Paris.
- Van Gogh died by suicide on July 29, 1890, after spending a year in a psychiatric hospital.
- Van Gogh's Chair is in the collection of the National Gallery, London; Gauguin's Chair is at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
- Gauguin painted four sunflower still lifes in Tahiti in 1901, 11 years after Van Gogh's death, as surrogate portraits.
Entities
Artists
- Vincent van Gogh
- Paul Gauguin
- Theo van Gogh
- Samuel Luke Fildes
- Charles Dickens
- Anthon van Rappard
Institutions
- National Gallery, London
- Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
- Musée d'Orsay, Paris
- Courtauld Gallery, London
- Free Library of Philadelphia
- Emil Bührle Collection, Zurich
- Grand Bouillon-Restaurant du Chalet
- The Collector
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Arles
- Provence
- Yellow House
- Avenue de Clichy
- Nuenen
- Brabant
- London
- United Kingdom
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Tahiti
- Zurich
- Switzerland
- Philadelphia
- United States