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Vincent van Gogh, 'Two Crabs', 1889

About the work

This is thought to have been painted soon after Van Gogh's release from hospital in Arles in January 1889. On 7 January he wrote to his brother Theo: 'I am going to set to work again tomorrow. I shall start by doing one or two still lifes to get used to painting again'. He was probably also inspired by a woodcut by Hokusai, 'Crabs', which was reproduced in the May 1888 issue of 'Le Japon Artistique', sent to Vincent by Theo in September of that year. In a related painting in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, the crab is shown lying on its back. Here it is probably the same crab shown both on its back and upright. The artist has used varied brushstrokes to convey texture. Parallel strokes sculpt the creature's form on an exuberant sea-like surface.

Key facts

Full title
Two Crabs
Artist
Vincent van Gogh
Artist dates
1853 - 1890
Date made
1889
Medium and support
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
47 × 61 cm
Acquisition credit
On loan from a Private Collection
Inventory number
L995
Location
Room 43
Image copyright
On loan from a Private Collection, © Private collection. Used by permission
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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