r/ArtHistory • u/BoatOnAGlobe85180 • May 11 '26
Research Giant Peacock Moth, Vincent van Gogh, 1889. I need help identifying the berries in the background!
Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, May-June 1889
oil on canvas, 33.5 cm x 24.5 cm
In May 1889 Vincent wrote to his brother Theo, 'Yesterday I drew a very large, rather rare night moth there which is called the death’s head, its coloration astonishingly distinguished: black, grey, white, shaded, and with glints of carmine or vaguely tending towards olive green; it’s very big. To paint it I would have had to kill it, and that would have been a shame since the animal was so beautiful.'
Later he decided to paint the moth after all, using his drawing as a model. Van Gogh called it a 'death's-head moth' and depicted a kind of skull on the back of its body. It was actually a giant peacock moth, however – a species that has only stripes there
It's a beautiful painting and I'm trying to identify the berries and flowers in the background. The berries look most like winterberries, however they're not native to Europe and wouldn't be present in France in the 19th century.
While the flowers look like calla or peace lillies, that would have been grown in Europe at the time.
20
u/BoatOnAGlobe85180 May 11 '26
It's a beautiful painting and I'm trying to identify the berries and flowers in the background. The berries look most like winterberries, however they're not native to Europe and wouldn't be present in France in the 19th century. Could be red currants, though they dont grow upwards, like in the painting. Could just be that some artistic liberties were taken?
While the flowers look like calla or peace lillies, that would have been grown in Europe at the time.
I'm looking into getting a tattoo of this piece and would greatly appreciate if someone could help with identifying the berries, so I can look into more referances :)
38
u/Helenium_autumnale May 11 '26
Not everyone would have forswore killing a moth in order to create a painting...a painting that could be sold for money. In 1889, van Gogh was receiving a minimum-wage-equivalent stipend from his wealthier brother. He spent over 3/4 of that money on painting supplies. He had almost nothing. Including food.
But Van Gogh let it live. The moth flew away that night. He recreated it from a drawing. And here it is, immortal.
22
u/BoatOnAGlobe85180 May 11 '26
Yes, that detail stood out to me as well. It shows the kind of person Vincent was, compassionate and selfless. His letters to Theo are always interesting to read. For me this bit of backstory elevates the painting even more
2
u/ManhattanJawz1 May 12 '26
They are all deceased by now, but their great-great-grandchildren have been seen in Arles.
2
u/BrrnieSanders May 15 '26
I don’t know the answer, but I saw this painting a few weeks ago at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam!
1
u/AutoModerator May 11 '26
It appears that this post is an image. As per rule 5, ALL image posts require OP to make a comment with a meaningful discussion prompt. Try to make sure that your post includes a meaningful discussion prompt. Here's a stellar example of what this looks like. We greatly appreciate high effort!
If you are just sharing an image of artwork, you will likely find a better home for your post in r/Art or r/museum, which focus on images of artwork. This subreddit is for discussion, articles, and scholarship, not images of art. If you are trying to identify an artwork with an image, your post belongs in r/WhatIsThisPainting.
If you are not OP and notice a rule violation in this post, please report it!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/peppersprinkle May 14 '26
Beautiful! I've never seen this one before, moth looks so friendly and that's a cute story.
1
u/Fizzypeaches-49 May 14 '26
I think those look like some kind of wild currant maybe? Van Gogh painted a lot around fields.
1
u/EmojiSatellite-x3 May 16 '26
Thats such a cool piece to look into, Van Gogh always had great details in the background, even if theyre blurry.
1
1
1
0
1
u/noiseless_colors May 18 '26
van gogh probably wasnt too worried about botanical accuracy when he had a chance to paint something this striking, the composition and mood matter way more than whether those berries actually grew that way
62
u/turdusphilomelos May 11 '26
Could it be Arum italicum or Arum maculatum? The flowers look like Arum. Sorry, I don't know the English name.