Described by his brother Theo as having “the effect of a piece of cloth with satin and gold embroidery, “Vase with Sunflowers” by Vincent Van Gogh was conceptually innovative, depicting flowers in all life stages within a single bouquet. One of a series of 30 sunflower paintings created in 1889, Van Gogh (1853 – 1890), who suffered from severe depression, painted these cheery paintings during the sunny months, to help relieve his extreme sadness. Only selling one painting during his life, Van Gogh has become synonymous with the sunflowers that have profoundly impacted the advancement of art.