'Like looking into Van Gogh's soul': National Gallery hosts spectacular show of Dutch painter's work

For the first time, two of Van Gogh's Sunflowers paintings are being exhibited as a triptych alongside La Berceuse (1889), also known as Madame Augustine Roulin Rocking a Cradle, as the iconic Dutch painter originally envisioned.

Theo van Gogh, the artist’s brother, had originally suggested this arrangement, and the National Gallery in London has now brought this idea to life in a major exhibition coiniciding with the institution's 200th anniversary.

Showcasing more than 60 works from the final two years of Van Gogh’s life, a period spent in Provence where he revolutionised his approach to painting while struggling with his declining mental health, the exhibition has been described as a "once-in-a-century" spectacle and a "riveting rollercoaster ride from Arles to the stars".

Curator of the exhibition, Cornelia Homburg, highlights the significance of the moment: "This is actually the first Van Gogh exhibition that taken place at the National Gallery in London, which is quite extraordinary, especially considering the history it has. It is also a moment when there are extraordinary works of art that have never left its museum's."

The Philadelphia Sunflowers initially remained in Arles, France, with Van Gogh’s friends before being purchased by American collector Carroll Tyson. In 1935, it became part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's collection.

Other highlights of the exhibition include Starry Night Over the Rhone, depicting Van Gogh's view across the River Rhone, a short walk away from his famous yellow house in Arles. Although painted largely en plein air, Van Gogh made deliberate compositional choices here, such as positioning two lovers in the foreground, and employing his signature broad, expressive brushstrokes to