Vincent’s Irises
On May 8, 1889, Vincent Van Gogh committed himself to the asylum at Saint Paul-de-Mausole in Saint-Remy, France after many instances of hospitalization and struggles with mental health. During his stay he painted over 130 paintings of the surrounding gardens — among these were the famous The Starry Night and Irises.
Irises, Saint-Remy, c.1889 by Vincent van Gogh
Van Gogh was influenced by Japanese woodblock prints which were produced beginning in the 17th century. The use of black contours in Irises is a typical element of Japanese woodblock prints.
On day one, 4th grade students created their garden drawings with pencil and then outlining them with black sharpie. On day two, students used watercolor to finish their project.
(Student Samples shown above.)