Piles of French Novels, 1887 by Vincent van Gogh
Canvas Print - 16608-VVG
Location: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, NetherlandsOriginal Size: 54.4 x 73.6 cm
Giclée Canvas Print | $60.66 USD
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*Max printing size: 26 x 35.4 in
*Max framing size: Long side up to 28"
"Piles of French Novels" will be custom-printed for your order using the latest giclée printing technology. This technique ensures that the Canvas Print captures an exceptional level of detail, showcasing vibrant and vivid colors with remarkable clarity.
Our use of the finest quality, fine-textured canvas lends art reproductions a painting-like appearance. Combined with a satin-gloss coating, it delivers exceptional print outcomes, showcasing vivid colors, intricate details, deep blacks, and impeccable contrasts. The canvas structure is also highly compatible with canvas stretching frames, further enhancing its versatility.
To ensure proper stretching of the artwork on the stretcher-bar, we add additional blank borders around the printed area on all sides.
Our printing process utilizes cutting-edge technology and employs the Giclée printmaking method, ensuring exceptional quality. The colors undergo independent verification, guaranteeing a lifespan of over 100 years.
Please note that there are postal restrictions limiting the size of framed prints to a maximum of 28 inches along the longest side of the painting. If you desire a larger art print, we recommend utilizing the services of your local framing studio.
*It is important to mention that the framing option is unavailable for certain paintings, such as those with oval or round shapes.
If you select a frameless art print of "Piles of French Novels" by Vincent van Gogh, it will be prepared for shipment within 48 hours. However, if you prefer a framed artwork, the printing and framing process will typically require approximately 7-8 days before it is ready to be shipped.
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Painting Information
The breadth of color in this painting is surprisingly discreet, yet it carries a rhythmic intensity that sets the tone for the whole scene. Warm yellows blend into a muted pink background, and the occasional dash of subdued red draws the eye toward certain scattered paperbacks. These hues, while understated, underscore the vitality of the picture and bring into focus an unlikely subject: a modest tabletop piled high with the novels of modern French literature.
Observing the composition, one notices how the books spread out in a circular sequence, almost as if they are objects in orbit. Foremost among them is the open volume, placed at the front and center, beckoning viewers to enter a dialogue with its silent text. Such an unassuming yet deliberate focal point immediately draws our gaze and urges us to consider the act of reading as a shared experience between artist and onlooker.
In terms of technique, the brushwork feels comparatively restrained, especially when held against more turbulent works by the same painter. The lines that delineate each paperback appear carefully measured, preserving their individuality. Gone are the dramatic swirls or heavily impastoed strokes; instead, the surfaces seem quietly textured, reflecting a thoughtful, methodical approach to capturing these objects. They feel almost tangible, and it’s easy to imagine the slight crinkle of paper beneath one’s fingertips.
All of this speaks to the context in which it was made. By the late 19th century, French novelists like the Goncourt brothers and Émile Zola were embracing raw depictions of contemporary life, and these cheap, yellow-backed volumes became symbols of that earnest modernity. Van Gogh’s decision to paint them not as pristine trophies but rather as dog-eared companions speaks to the genuine respect he held for their literary power and relevance. It’s a snapshot of a cultural moment, one in which art and literature intermingled to challenge, inform, and inspire.
What remains most striking, however, is the effect these plain books have on the overall atmosphere. Their humble presence, rendered in gentle yellows and reds, asserts a quiet dignity. The viewer is invited, through that open book, into a world of stories and ideas. By fixing our gaze on these so-called ordinary objects, the painting reveals the profound significance that reading and introspection held for its maker—and, by extension, for anyone willing to linger over the hidden worlds within those worn pages.
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