Masters Collection 2025

John Myatt

First encountering Van Gogh in Art History lectures during the 1960s, John Myatt was instantly drawn to the Dutch Post-Impressionist’s unusual colour palettes and loose expressionistic brushstrokes. Decades later, Myatt’s fascination was rekindled as he studied Van Gogh’s letters and paintings to understand the emotion and inspiration that ultimately led to the creation of the iconic and internationally recognised Sunflowers series.

A masterclass in emotion, symbolism, and colour through still life, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers were painted in 1888-89 in Arles in the south of France. From blooming flowers representing vitality, creativity and hope, to wilted heads suggesting fragility, aging and impermanence, Sunflowers is rich in layered meaning, functioning as a meditation on the cycle of life. Working in Van Gogh’s innovative monochromatic palette of yellows, ochres and greens, Myatt’s research into the artist’s personal life helped him to understand the artist’s struggles with his mental health and his longing for creative expression, companionship and love.

In an unprecedented achievement, Myatt has recreated a version of Sunflowers that was tragically destroyed during World War II. The bold royal blue rendition, once lost to history, has now been brought back to life, completing Van Gogh’s Sunflower series.