Van Gogh Palette – Color Pigment
When we examine the vast collection of Van Gogh oil paintings one can often determine his frame of mind upon execution; this in turn gives us a relevant timeframe.
Vincent’s use of color became increasingly more vibrant after he moved to Paris, and continued to flourish during Arles with the Sunflowers series.
From May 8, 1889 to May 16, 1890 during a year spent at the Saint-Paul Asylum in Saint-Rémy Vincent produced some of his most famous and impressive works.
During mid-April 1889, while in Arles, Vincent had written to his brother Theo requesting the following pigments in large tubes, noting “I have 6 spring studies, including two large orchards. It’s very urgent, because these effects are so fleeting”:
12 zinc white – 1 Emerald – 2 Cobalt – 2 Ultramarine – 1 Vermilion – 4 Veronese Green – 3 Chrome I – 1 Chrome II – 2 Geranium lake in medium tubes
The paintings consisted of 4 orchards, as well as Road with Pollard Willows, and Field with Flowers Under a Stormy Sky
On Sunday, 9 June 1889 having spent a month at the asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Vincent wrote to his brother Theo requesting the following pigments:
8 tubes silver white – 6 tubes Veronese Green – 2 tubes Ultramarine – 2 tubes Cobalt – 2 tubes yellow Ochre – 1 tube red Ochre – 1 tube raw sienna – 1 tube ivory black