Van Gogh's Sunflowers Illuminated

Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers are seen by many as icons of Western European art. Two of these masterpieces - the first version painted in August 1888 (The National Gallery, London) and the painting made after it in January 1889 (Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam) - have been the subject of a detailed comparison by an interdisciplinary team of experts. The pictures were examined in unprecedented depth using a broad array of techniques, including state-of-the-art, non-invasive imaging analytical methods, to look closely at and under the paint surface. Not only the making, but also the subsequent history of the works was reconstructed, including later campaigns of restoration. The study's conclusions are set out in this book, along with the fascinating genesis of the paintings and the sunflower's special significance to Van Gogh. More than 30 authors, all specialists in the field of conservation, conservation science and art history, have contributed to the research and publication presenting the outcomes of this unique project.

Ella Hendriks is full Professor of Conservation and Restoration of Moveable Cultural Heritage at the Faculty of Humanities (Department of Arts & Culture) at the University of Amsterdam. Marije Vellekoop studied art history at Utrecht University and has worked at the Van Gogh Museum since 1995, holding the position of Curator of Prints and Drawings since 1999. Maarten van Bommel is Professor of Conservation Science At the faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam. Muriel Geldof is conservation and restauration specialist with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands.

Foreword Marije Vellekoop 1 Van Gogh's Sunflowers: Research in Context Ella Hendriks and Costanza Miliani 2 The Sunflowers in Perspective Nienke Bakker and Christopher Riopelle 3 Methods, Materials and Condition of the London Sunflowers Catherine Higgitt, Gabriella Macaro and Marika Spring 4 Methods and Materials of the Amsterdam Sunflowers Ella Hendriks, Muriel Geldof, Letizia Monico, Don H. Johnson, Costanza Miliani, Aldo Romani, Chiara Grazia, David Buti, Brunetto Giovanni Brunetti, Koen Janssens, Geert Van der Snickt and Frederik Vanmeert 5 Chemical Alteration and Colour Changes in the Amsterdam Sunflowers Letizia Monico, Ella Hendriks, Muriel Geldof, Costanza Miliani, Koen Janssens, Brunetto Giovanni Brunetti, Marine Cotte, Frederik Vanmeert, Annalisa Chieli, Geert Van der Snickt, Aldo Romani and Maria João Melo 6 Structure and Chemical Composition of the Surface Layers in the Amsterdam Sunflowers Klaas Jan van den Berg, Ella Hendriks, Muriel Geldof, Suzan de Groot, Inez van der Werf, Costanza Miliani, Patrizia Moretti, Laura Cartechini, Letizia Monico, Magdalena Iwanicka, Piotr Targowski, Marcin Sylwestrzak and Wim Genuit 7 Conservation of the Amsterdam Sunflowers: From Past to Future Ella Hendriks, Muriel Geldof, Klaas Jan van den Berg, Letizia Monico, Costanza Miliani, Patrizia Moretti, Magdalena Iwanicka, Piotr Targowski, Luc Megens, Suzan de Groot, Henk van Keulen, Koen Janssens, Frederik Vanmeert and Geert Van der Snickt 8 Methods and Techniques Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Magdalena Iwanicka, Marcin Sylwestrzak, Anna Szkulmowska and Piotr Targowski, Research Methods and Technical Terms: An Overview, Experimental Methods and Conditions, Used for Investigating the Amsterdam Sunflowers and Mock-up Paints, Bibliography, Abstracts, Index, About the Authors, Note to the Reader.