What Are Van Gogh's Most Notable Pieces Of Art?

Much of Van Gogh's work has been assimilated into popular culture to such an extent that many people know many of his paintings without knowing who the artist was. His Starry Night paintings, depicting night-time scenes around the Rhone and painted between 1888 and 1889, are examples of such works. They are intriguing combinations of line and colour, at once complex and yet apparently simplistic. Those who criticise Van Gogh often cite The Starry Night as evidence that his talent was no more than child-like, and yet others look to it as proof of his genius.

His series of sunflowers, however, are certainly his best-known works. He painted numerous sunflower pieces, each depicting either twelve or fifteen flowers in a similar vase. One of these images sold for $30m dollars in 1988; at the time it was the most expensive painting ever sold.

The Yellow House is also notable, in part for its evocation of one of the most tragic periods of the artist's life. It is around this house in Arles that Van Gogh experienced one of his most acute breakdowns, leading to his infamous removal of his own ear and, ultimately, to his incarceration in hospital.