Behind the Harvest: Van Gogh’s Late Paintings

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The final in a series of talks by curator Dr Sophie Matthiesson bringing to life the world of the artist through a selection of works featured in A Century of Modern Art.

In the final weeks of his life, Vincent van Gogh painted Wheatfields with Reaper, Auvers – a glowing, emotionally charged scene of the summer harvest that now stands as one of his most powerful artworks. Created in July 1890, this work reflects both the beauty of the landscape and the intensity of the artist’s inner world.

Join Dr Matthiesson for a compelling talk that draws on recent research to explore the dramatic events leading up to this radiant painting. From Van Gogh’s bold dream to establish a ‘Studio of the South’ in Arles, through his deeply affecting hospitalisations in Arles and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, to his final months of reflection and recovery in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris – this is a story of creativity, struggle, and resilience.

Don’t miss this moving exploration of one of Van Gogh’s final and most poignant works, featured in A Century of Modern Art.

Image Credit: Vincent van Gogh, Wheat Fields with Reaper, Auvers (detail), 1890, oil on canvas, Toledo Museum of Art, Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey.

Sunday 31 August 2025, 11am–12pm

Auditorium

FREE

 

About the speaker:

Dr Sophie Matthiesson is coordinating curator of A Century of Modern Art:Paintings from the Toledo Museum of Art Ohio at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, where she has been senior curator of international art since 2020.  In her previous role as curator of international art at the National Gallery of Victoria Dr Matthiesson’s exhibition projects included Van Gogh: The Seasons (2017), Degas: A New Vision (2016), Monet’s Garden (2013), Salvador Dalì: Liquid Desire (2009) and Picasso: Love and War (2007).