Paperblanks Van Gogh’s Still Life Pencils – Pack of 4

Bring artistry to every note with this pack of 4 Van Gogh’s Still Life pencils from Paperblanks, wrapped in stunning artwork from the Paperblanks design library.

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) was one of the great post-Impressionist painters. After moving to the town of Arles in 1888, he began experimenting with still life pieces, which he called “colour studies.” We are honoured to partner with the Barnes Foundation to bring one of Van Gogh’s finest still life artworks to our collection.

The Story Behind the Design

Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) is remembered today as one of the most influential painters of all time. His use of expressive brushstrokes and bold colours contributed to the rise of expressionism in modern art.

Van Gogh was a prolific painter and created approximately 2100 artworks in just over a decade, most of them in the last two years of his life. Van Gogh flourished when surrounded by nature and created magnificent and uplifting works of art that showcased the natural world.

In February 1888, Van Gogh moved to the village of Arles in southern France in hopes of establishing an artistic retreat and commune. It was in Arles where his paintings became more brightly coloured and he fully embraced the renewing power of nature, depicting local olive groves, wheat fields, and flowers. Van Gogh was energised by his new environment, completing 200 paintings and more than 100 drawings and watercolours during his time there.

Van Gogh often called his still life pieces “colour studies.” By arranging flowers in different combinations and setting them against saturated fields of colour, he experimented with bold new chromatic relationships. Reproduced on this cover is the canvas Still Life (Nature morte), which he painted in May 1888, a few months after his move to the village. Several artworks from his Arles period feature the same objects depicted here – the blue majolica vase with painted decoration, filled with vibrant blue and yellow flowers, and the white teacup.

We are honoured to partner with the Barnes Foundation, an educational institution based in Philadelphia, to reproduce one of Van Gogh’s finest pieces of still life as part of our collaborative collection.

• Original artwork: Still Life (Nature morte) oil on canvas painting by Vincent van Gogh
• Era: 1888
• Region: Arles, France

Product Details

• Dimensions: 7 × 178 × 7 mm
• Design: Van Gogh’s Still Life
• Collection: The Barnes Collection
• 4 high-quality #2 (HB) unsharpened pencils
• Black coloured wood
• Paperblanks “Iconic P” in gold foil on the rounded end
• Stunning wraparound art from the Paperblanks design library
• Smooth, cylindrical design
• High gloss finish to really bring out the vibrancy of the designs
• Weight: 32 g
• Product code: PA1423-3 | ISBN: 9780349714233

About Paperblanks

Paperblanks works with museums, libraries, galleries and artists around the world to faithfully reproduce remarkable artwork, historic bindings and treasured manuscripts, bringing the same care and craftsmanship found in its celebrated journals to every accessory.