By Abby | 1st August 2018
In this article we’re recreating Van Gogh’s ‘Bedroom in Arles’. This 19th-century painting is arguably one of Van Gogh’s most famous works with 3 versions on display in Amsterdam, Paris and Chicago. If you’ve seen the exhibition in the latter, “Van Gogh’s Bedrooms”, you may have already seen this masterpiece recreated in great detail. It's truly impressive. And you can recreate this bedroom scene with objects from our auctions. Keep reading to discover our expert’s advice on recreating this scene and discover their specially curated selection of objects.
Art
To properly recreate Van Gogh’s ‘Bedroom in Arles’, you’ll need some art to hang on your walls. The landscape hanging above Van Gogh’s bed is unknown, or possibly a landscape by the master himself. So a 19th century landscape would do perfectly in your recreation. “Maybe a French Barbizon landscape could do well,” according to our in-house art expert, Daniel Heikens.
An example of a 19th century Barbizon School Landscape which sold on our Affordable International Classical Art auction
Shop French Barbizon landscapes
The portraits on the wall are self portraits and a portrait of his mother. Every month we host a Classical Portraits themed auction where you’ll find a great selection of portraits from the late 19th century to fit with Van Gogh’s bedroom scene. If you prefer to give your room a modern twist, then consider hanging portrait photography in place of paintings. Whichever style you decide to pursue, remember to look for a portrait of a lady and a self portrait.
Left: 'Portrait of an old lady' by Eugène LAGIER (1817-1892) Right: Ritratto di fanciulla con cappello by anonymous (19th century)
Furniture
The chairs seen in the bedroom in Arles are a pair of farmer’s chairs with rush seats. Such chairs were common during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and you can find sets of them occasionally at our bric-a-brac auction.
19th century rush seat chairs from the Netherlands which sold on our Bric-à-brac auction
Van Gogh’s bed is simple and sturdy. You can find similar bed frames from the 19th century at auction to be period correct. Or you can opt for a 20th century solid wood frame that has the same charming simplicity like the solid oak one below.
An early 20th century solid oak bed frame from Western Europe which appeared on our Curio auction
Another key piece of furniture in this bedroom scene is the night table next to Van Gogh’s bed. A Louis Philippe style bedside table would work nicely for your recreation because it fits the time period and the simpler lines and minimal ornamentation match the style of the rest of the bedroom furniture.
This 19th century French Mahogany Louis Philippe period bedside table appeared in our Antiques auction
For the finishing touches, you’ll need some 19th century antiques to top off your table. Van Gogh had a water pitcher and basin beside his bed along with a brush and a few bottles. Pharmacy or perfume bottles would both be interesting antiques to add to your scene. When looking for antiques, one approach would be to keep within the colour scheme and look for blues to decorate your bedside table with. Another approach would be to stay period correct and look for 19th century French antiques. Of course you could also create your own interpretation of the bedroom in Arles and simply let the colour scheme and time period serve as inspiration.
A selection of 19th century antiques from our auctions which could be used to recreate Van Gogh's 'Bedroom in Arles' including European glass pharmacy bottles, a silver brush and a Victoria Ware wash bowl & pitcher set
There’s a world of art, antiques and furniture for you to discover at our weekly online auctions. Let art serve as your inspiration as you browse and keep checking back to see what’s new.
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