In the summer of 1887, Vincent painted his first sunflower pictures.  Sunflower fascinated him, the bright splash of sensuous yellow, the colour of sunlight, warmth and friendship.  Sunflowers were to remain a favourite subject for him and he painted them many times. In a letter dated August 1888 when in Arles and anticipating Gauguin's arrival he writes 'Now that I hope to live with Gauguin in a studio of our own, I want to make a decoration for the studio.  Nothing but big sunflowers'.  Vincent refers to the sunflower as '..........  somewhat my own.' 

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