On August 14 at 12:50 PM (Eastern Time), art enthusiasts will be able to view all five of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” paintings through a virtual exhibition via Facebook Live. The event is led by the National Gallery in London in partnership with various galleries across three continents. The participating galleries are The National Gallery in London, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Neue Pinakothek in Munich and Tokyo, Japan’s Seiji Togo Memorial Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Museum of Art. The said collaboration is the first of its kind.
Jennifer Thompson, curator of the Facebook Live event at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, tells The New York Times that this is “the first time that art museums in different countries had used social media to highlight works that are unlikely to be seen together in one physical space.” The Facebook Live event begins at 12:50 PM (Eastern Time) with the London presentation and will end with the Tokyo curator at 2:10 PM (Eastern Time).
The Van Gogh Sunflowers Facebook Virtual Tour Reunites the Paintings since they Left the Family
The Telegraph reports that the Sunflower paintings “had never been seen together since they left the artist’s family” according to Van Gogh expert Martin Bailey. When Van Gogh was still alive, he was not able to sell any of his paintings. These got passed on to his brother Theo after his death and then to Jo Bonger, Theo’s wife. Jo then sold them from 1891 to 1924 but she kept one for the family. This painting is the one in the Van Gogh Museum.
The five Sunflowers will never be exhibited together. Martin Bailey mentions two reasons why these paintings will never be physically exhibited together. One reason is for conservation since the art works are very fragile. It is a risk to have them transported. Another reason is because they are the most popular works on display in the galleries they are hung in. Deputy director of the National Gallery Susan Foister said that since getting all five paintings all together in one exhibit is challenging, bringing them together digitally is the most appealing solution.
Willem van Gogh’s own words about the “Sunflowers” say it all. “Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ are works of art that continue to intrigue and inspire, perhaps into eternity. Indeed, each generation forges a fresh, highly personal bind with them. The virtual gallery and live stream now provide a novel way for art lovers, young and old, to admire these magnificent masterpieces, from all corners of the globe. I think this is fantastic.”
During the virtual tour, Van Gogh’s great-grand-nephew, Willem van Gogh, will be narrating memories of the paintings which were created in 1888/9 for a visit by an artist named Paul Gauguin to Van Gogh’s house in Arles, France. Each painting will be interpreted by expert curators through 15-minute commentaries.