Vase of Roses by Vincent van Gogh reproduces the 1890 floral still life officially titled Roses by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Van Gogh painted this abundant bouquet at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in May 1890, shortly before leaving Saint-Paul-de-Mausole. The roses originally appeared much pinker than they do today because some red pigments have faded over time. The historic oil-on-canvas painting is now held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Alpha Art Gallery offers reproductions as canvas prints, fine art prints, framed prints and 100% hand-painted oil paintings.
About Vase of Roses by Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh created Roses during an extraordinary burst of flower painting at Saint-Rémy in May 1890. Catalogued as F 682 / JH 1979, the work measures approximately 93 × 74 cm and has a vertical format. A large bouquet fills much of the canvas, rising from a green vase against a softly contrasting background.
This product is commonly called Vase of Roses, while The Metropolitan Museum of Art uses the concise title Roses. The different wording refers to the same historical painting. The museum records the work under object number 1993.400.5.
The composition belongs to one of Van Gogh’s final major explorations of floral still life. Rather than painting a single flower type once, he created a coordinated group of two iris paintings and two rose paintings, deliberately varying their orientation and colour relationships.
One of Four Final Saint-Rémy Flower Paintings
In May 1890, as Van Gogh prepared to leave Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, he painted four ambitious bouquets: two of irises and two of roses. The Metropolitan Museum of Art describes the paintings as an ensemble, with upright and horizontal formats deliberately paired across the group.
The Met’s Roses is the upright rose composition. Its companion rose painting, in a horizontal format, is now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The two iris paintings are divided between The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
This relationship is useful when understanding the painting. Van Gogh was not simply documenting flowers placed in front of him. He was investigating how the same general subject could be transformed through format, background colour, vessel, brushwork and the direction in which the bouquet spreads across the canvas.
What Does Vase of Roses Depict?
The painting presents a large bouquet of roses arranged in a substantial green vase. Blossoms occupy much of the upper part of the composition, while leaves and stems create movement between the flower heads and the vessel below. A few fallen floral elements near the base prevent the still life from feeling rigidly symmetrical.
The vertical canvas gives the bouquet considerable height. Instead of spreading widely from side to side, the arrangement rises strongly upward, allowing the vase and flowers to form one dominant central structure.
Van Gogh nevertheless avoids formal symmetry. Individual flowers turn in different directions, the contour of the bouquet remains irregular, and brushstrokes give the roses a lively rather than polished botanical appearance.
The Roses Were Originally Pink
The painting’s present appearance is not identical to the colour scheme Van Gogh saw when he completed it. The Metropolitan Museum of Art documents traces of pink that survive on the tabletop and among the flowers. Van Gogh himself described the work as pink roses against a yellow-green background in a green vase.
Over time, light-sensitive red components within some nineteenth-century pigments faded. As those reds diminished, many formerly pink petals became much paler. By the early twentieth century, the flowers were already being described as white.
This makes Roses particularly interesting from an art-historical perspective. Modern viewers see both Van Gogh’s composition and the effects of more than a century of material change. Conservation research helps reconstruct the much stronger colour relationships he originally intended.
Colour Harmony in Van Gogh’s Final Floral Series
Van Gogh approached colour deliberately. The pink roses, green vase and yellow-green surroundings were conceived as a coordinated harmony rather than simply copied from whatever colours happened to appear in front of him.
This interest in colour relationships developed over many years. His Paris period exposed him to Impressionism and modern colour theory, while his Arles and Saint-Rémy paintings show increasingly confident use of complementary and related hues.
The flower series of May 1890 therefore represents a mature artist revisiting the still-life genre with the experience gained from years of experimentation. The subject is traditional, but the colour, brushwork and scale are unmistakably Van Gogh.
Brushwork and the Physical Character of the Flowers
Van Gogh’s roses are not rendered through smooth, invisible modelling. Brushstrokes remain apparent, and the flowers are constructed with confident marks that give the bouquet physical energy.
The Met characterizes the series as notable for its facility of execution and elegant simplicity. Rather than attempting to describe every petal botanically, Van Gogh uses directional strokes and concentrated areas of paint to give each group of flowers sufficient form while allowing the entire arrangement to remain unified.
This painterly quality is particularly relevant when choosing a reproduction. A printed version can reproduce the visible image and colour relationships, while a hand-painted oil reproduction adds actual paint texture and individually created brushwork.
Why Vase of Roses Is Important
Roses is important because it belongs to Van Gogh’s final weeks at Saint-Rémy and demonstrates that he continued to experiment with decorative ensembles and colour relationships immediately before moving to Auvers-sur-Oise.
The painting also provides a fascinating comparison with his famous Sunflowers. Both subjects transform ordinary flowers into monumental compositions, but their visual effects differ substantially. The Arles sunflowers emphasize intense yellows and bold shapes, while the Saint-Rémy roses were originally organized around a softer pink-and-green harmony.
Those exploring other celebrated paintings from art history can use Roses to see how Van Gogh returned repeatedly to flower subjects while avoiding simple repetition.
Historical Artwork Details
| Artist |
Vincent van Gogh |
| Museum title |
Roses |
| Common reproduction title |
Vase of Roses |
| Catalogue references |
F 682 / JH 1979 |
| Date |
1890 |
| Created at |
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France |
| Original medium |
Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions |
Approximately 93 × 74 cm |
| Orientation |
Vertical |
| Genre |
Floral still life |
| Movement |
Post-Impressionism |
| Current collection |
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
| Museum object number |
1993.400.5 |
The historical original belongs to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Alpha Art Gallery sells reproductions rather than Van Gogh’s original and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the museum.
Choose Your Vase of Roses Reproduction
| Format |
Presentation |
Ideal For |
| Canvas Print |
Textured canvas presentation with strong decorative scale |
Feature walls and floral statement art |
| Fine Art Print |
Refined traditional printed presentation |
Collectors who prefer classic art prints |
| Framed Print |
Finished presentation with a defined external border |
Bedrooms, living rooms, studies and offices |
| Hand-Painted Oil Reproduction |
Actual oil paint with individual brushwork and handmade variation |
Buyers attracted to Van Gogh’s physical painting technique |
Museum-Quality Canvas Print
Alpha Art Gallery’s museum-quality canvas prints use substantial 400–450 GSM canvas. The vertical bouquet can create a strong focal point without requiring the wide wall area needed by many landscape paintings.
Fine Art and Framed Prints
A fine art print gives the bouquet a refined traditional presentation, while framing provides a clear visual boundary around Van Gogh’s irregular arrangement of flowers. A framed version can work particularly well on narrower walls, above smaller consoles or beside other works in a gallery-style arrangement.
100% Hand-Painted Oil Reproduction
Alpha Art Gallery also offers 100% hand-painted oil painting reproductions. Each is individually painted by professional artists using oil on canvas, creating genuine brushwork, physical texture and subtle handmade differences.
Where Can I Buy Vase of Roses by Van Gogh?
Alpha Art Gallery offers Vase of Roses as a canvas print, fine art print, framed print and 100% hand-painted oil reproduction. Multiple sizes and frame options are available where applicable, with secure packaging and free worldwide shipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who painted Vase of Roses?
Vincent van Gogh painted the artwork in 1890 at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The Metropolitan Museum of Art officially titles the painting Roses.
Where is the original Vase of Roses?
The original is held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York under object number 1993.400.5. Alpha Art Gallery offers reproductions rather than the museum’s original.
Were Van Gogh’s roses originally white?
No. The flowers originally contained much stronger pink colour. Light-sensitive red pigments faded over time, leaving many petals substantially paler than they appeared when Van Gogh completed the painting.
Was Vase of Roses part of a series?
Yes. It belongs to a coordinated group of two rose paintings and two iris paintings created in May 1890 during Van Gogh’s final days at Saint-Rémy.
Can I buy Vase of Roses as a canvas print?
Yes. Alpha Art Gallery offers the artwork on 400–450 GSM museum-quality canvas in multiple sizes.
Can I order a hand-painted reproduction?
Yes. A 100% hand-painted oil-on-canvas reproduction is available, individually created by professional artists with real brushwork and painted texture.
Is the Alpha Art Gallery reproduction the original Van Gogh?
No. All versions offered here are reproductions of the historical Van Gogh painting. The original belongs to The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Is worldwide shipping free?
Yes. Alpha Art Gallery provides free worldwide shipping on all orders and securely packages artwork for delivery.
Bring Van Gogh’s Roses Into Your Space
With its monumental bouquet, vigorous brushwork and fascinating history of changing colour, Roses offers a distinctive view of Van Gogh at the end of his Saint-Rémy period. Choose canvas, fine art, framed or individually hand-painted oil presentation in a size that works naturally with your interior.
