Three Books (Nature morte avec trois livres), 1887 by Vincent van Gogh

Three Books, painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1887, depicts a modest stack of volumes, two bound in yellow and one in vivid red-orange, resting on a mustard-toned tabletop framed within an oval set against a black background. Painted in Paris, where van Gogh immersed himself in the city's literary and artistic circles, the work reflects his deep admiration for contemporary French novelists such as Emile Zola, whose books recur throughout his Paris-period still lifes. Bold, decorative, and quietly intellectual, it marks a departure from his earlier, darker Dutch still lifes.

Artist: Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853-1890). Date: 1887.

Three Books (Nature morte avec trois livres), 1887 by Vincent van Gogh. Literary Still Life Wall Art Canvas Print.