"Irises" is a vibrant still life painting created by Vincent van Gogh in May 1890 while he was a patient at the psychiatric hospital in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
Van Gogh designed this work as a study in powerful color contrasts, placing purple irises against a striking yellow background to make the decorative forms more dramatic (though the flowers have since faded from purple to blue as the red pigment deteriorated over time).
The painting demonstrates van Gogh's belief that creating art was therapeutic, serving as a remedy for his psychiatric struggles during his time at the asylum.
