This short-sleeve Van Gogh cotton shirt was created by SBMA in honor of the exhibition Through Vincent's Eyes, on view February 27th, 2022 through May 22nd, 2022.
Roses was painted in 1890 by Vincent van Gogh in Saint-Rémy. At the time the work was painted Van Gogh was readying himself to leave the Saint-Rémy asylum for the quiet town of Auvers-sur-Oise outside of Paris. Although he sometimes assigned certain meanings to flowers, Van Gogh did not make a specific association for roses. It is clear, though, that he saw all blossoming plants as celebrations of birth and renewal—as full of life. As he explained to Theo, "these canvases will take a whole month to dry, but the attendant here will undertake to send them off after my departure." They arrived in Auvers by June 24.
The back of the shirt is accented with a Van Gogh quote, "Normality is a paved road: It's comfortable to walk but no flowers grow on it." The left shoulder displays the SBMA logo.
100% cotton.
Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890). Roses, 1890
Oil on canvas, 27 15/16 × 35 7/16 in.
National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, Gift of Pamela Harriman in memory of W. Averell Harriman (1991.67.1)