Van Gogh, Vincent (1853-1890)
Still life with five bottles
1884
Oil on canvas, 49.5 × 57.4 cm
Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna
The still life, which is limited to a few objects, is an impressive example of Vincent van Gogh‘s early paintings. We see five bottles in front of a window, four of them made of clay. An already empty bottle lies in front of other closed vessels. In 1884, Van Gogh lived in Antwerp, where he had moved from The Hague. It was only the previous year that he had finally turned away from drawing and turned to painting. At that time he admired socially critical painters such as the Belgian artist Charles de Groux, a representative of radical realism. Earthy colors and simple materials such as wood and clay also reflect the concerns of realistic painting in Van Gogh‘s still life. (Belvedere)