Formal Analysis of Irises by Vincent Van Gogh

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Formal Analysis of Irises by Vincent Van Gogh
The Iris by Van Gogh is a landscape post-impressionism portrait on canvas oil, painted in 1889. Notably, it is part of a series of four Iris paintings measuring 74.3cm × 94.3 cm. The painting is housed in J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California, USA. Further, Van made the painting at Saint Paul-de Mausole in France, a mental hospital. The painting is the most well-known work of Van Gogh, which was inspired by the hospital garden, which made him calm and sane.
Further, the painting is believed to be inspired by Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints techniques, which can be seen on the canvas. The method is characterized by bold and obvious lines, intellectual cropping of elements in the composition, vivid colors, and nature-oriented designs, which is highly evident in the Irises by Van Gogh ( Spinks).
Frame and Pictorial
The painting outlines a formation of flowers, with no sign of sky, mountain, or building. However, several purple Iris flowers can be observed outwardly clustered and positioned in the lower and upper right-hand side of the composition. The leaves and stem are green with pointy tips. Further, the left foreground depicts a patch of bare ground, giving the painting a contrasting effect. Additionally, the middle ground appears green with vertical purple leaves of the Iris flower. On the painting's left-hand side, white Iris flower blossoms amid the purple iris towards the background. The background consists of a green garden filled with a bed of orange blossom on the left side of the portrait. The right side is composed of fine grass with scattered flowers lit with Mediterranean light.
Colors
The painting is in harmony with no clashing colors. Van Gogh used blue and violet colors for flowers, but it is originally believed to be purple and violet, which faded with time. Also, he used yellow and orange as warm colors for flowers in the background. Additionally, he used complementary colors such as green for the grass and red, which appears to be brown for the ground. Additionally, there are shades of white Iris with make the painting inauthentic. The bright blue and violet colors contrast with other colors. The contrast gives life to flowers and makes them stand out.
Texture
Van Gogh uses different rich textures for the irises painting. Notably, when observed closely, various textures that match the subject composition are seen through his brushstrokes. This gives the painting an authentic feel of the subject matter. For instance, Vincent uses soft and smooth strokes for flowers and longer strokes for the leaves. Further, some brush strokes appear thinner on the painting's white flowers and scattered areas. According to Art Context, texture is a significant element that affects the mood and psychological interaction with the artwork ( Art Context). The soft and rough stroke in the Irises gives the feeling of authenticity and originality.
Line
The line is a primary art element that can be defined as the point in moving space that borders or highlights the subject matt...