Three books (1887)

Vincent van Gogh is the artist behind "Three books", dated 1887. About the period around 1887: Japanese prints reached Europe in large numbers and influenced many artists, while photography changed what painting needed to do. In the 1890s, colour lithography and Art Nouveau made the illustrated poster a celebrated art form. Still Life, a short history: Still life, the arrangement of flowers, fruit, tableware, and other objects, became a distinct genre in the Netherlands and Spain in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Dutch vanitas paintings used objects such as skulls, candles, and wilting flowers to remind viewers that time passes. It is listed in the Still Life collection. The image is in landscape orientation.

Buying "Three books" means getting a digital file, not a physical print: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI, delivered by email once payment is confirmed. A 300 DPI file is intended for printing at home or at a local print shop, where you can choose a matte, satin, or fine-art paper to suit the room. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. A simple frame with a mat often helps an image settle comfortably into a room. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing.

Dutch, 1853–1890

If you like the visual language of Vincent van Gogh, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.