Van Gogh’s Bedrooms

The Bedroom (first version), October 1888. Oil on canvas, 72 x 90 cm, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Vincent van Gogh’s bedroom in Arles is arguably the most famous chambre in the history of art. It also held special significance for the artist, who created three distinct paintings of this intimate space from 1888 to 1889. This exhibition—presented only at the Art Institute of Chicago—brings together all three versions of The Bedroom for the first time in North America, offering a pioneering and in-depth study of their making and meaning to Van Gogh in his relentless quest for home.

Van Gogh painted his first Bedroom just after moving into his beloved “Yellow House” in Arles, France, in 1888. He was so enamored with the work, now in the collection of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, that after water damage threatened its stability, he became determined to preserve the composition by painting a second version while at an asylum in Saint-Rémy in 1889. Identical in scale and yet distinct from the original, that second work is now one of the icons of the Art Institute’s permanent collection. Van Gogh created a smaller third version, now at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, as a gift for his mother and sister a few weeks after making the second. While the three paintings at first appear almost identical, when examined closely, each reveals distinct and unique details.

Van Gogh’s Bedrooms features approximately 36 works by the artist, including paintings, drawings, and illustrated letters, as well as a selection of books and other ephemera known to have been in Van Gogh’s possession. Enhancing the exploration of the artist’s works and his longing for a place of his own are several engaging interactive presentations. A digitally enhanced reconstruction of his bedroom allows viewers the chance to experience his state of mind and the physical reality of the space that so inspired him, while other enriching digital components bring to light significant recent scientific research on the three Bedroom paintings. The result is an innovative yet intimate look at one of the most beloved and often-misunderstood artists of all time.

The Bedroom (Second version), September 1889. Oil on canvas, 72 x 90 cm, Art Institute of Chicago

Спалнята на Винсент Ван Гог в Арл е вероятно най-известната стая в историята на изкуството. Тя е скъпа и за самия автор, който я създава във важен период от живота си между 1888 и 1889 г. Изложбата – в Арт Института на Чикаго- събираща заедно всичките три версии на “Спалнята” за първи път в Северна Америка, предоставя новаторско и задълбочено изследване на създаването им както и заначението им за Ван Гог в неговото непреклонно търсене на свой дом и място под звездите.

The Bedroom (Third version), end September 1889. Oil on canvas, 57.5 x 74 cm, Musée d’Orsay, Paris