Symphony in Yellow

Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Poplars near Nuenen’ in fact concerns three paintings. What began as a church scene in the evening was overpainted by the artist with a melancholic, and ultimately even sunny autumn landscape, a precursor to his colourful cityscapes in Paris. Today it is a favourite in the collection of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, but it is also fragile. In recent years the painting has undergone extensive research and restoration. This book reads like a biography of the layered artwork, giving a glimpse into the restoration process. Yellowed coats of varnish and old retouches were removed, enabling us to come closer to the “symphony in yellow” that Van Gogh envisioned.