LEGO Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers Unveiled with Hidden Surprise for Art Enthusiasts News - Latest Updates and Information

The first thing to know about the LEGO Art Vincent van Gogh - Sunflowers set is its impressive size. At 21 inches high and 16 inches wide, it's approximately 60% the size of the original painting. This makes it large enough to be a bit unwieldy when you're picking it up, but that's part of its charm and presence.

LEGO Art Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers

$199.99 at LEGO Store

This set is designed to be taken seriously, not just as a fun LEGO project, but as a genuine piece of art that you can hang in your home. It's a testament to LEGO's evolution from a childhood toy to a respected hobby for adults.

LEGO Art Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers

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Vincent van Gogh painted his renowned series of Sunflowers while residing in Arles, France, during a highly productive phase of his career. He felt a profound emotional connection to the sunflower, seeing it as a symbol of gratitude and considering it his personal muse. In a letter to a friend, he wrote:

"If [Georges] Jeannin has the peony, [Ernest] Quost the hollyhock, I indeed, before others, have taken the sunflower."

In August 1888, van Gogh created four versions of sunflowers in a vase. He revisited this theme in January 1889, producing a repetition of the third version and two different repetitions of the fourth version.

Among these seven paintings, the fourth version and its two repetitions are the most celebrated. The original fourth version (F454) is displayed at the National Gallery in London, England. One repetition (F457) is showcased at the Sompo Museum of Art in Tokyo, Japan. The other repetition (F458), perhaps the most iconic due to its vibrant color composition, is housed at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Founded in 1973, the Van Gogh Museum collaborated with LEGO to release the LEGO Vincent van Gogh - Sunflowers set, paying homage to the F458 repetition. This set is crafted as a three-dimensional relief, using abstract pieces to replicate van Gogh's distinctive thick brushstrokes.

When you open the box, you'll find 34 numbered bags and an instruction booklet with a QR code. Scanning this code leads you to a podcast that explores van Gogh's life and the inspirations behind his work.

I particularly appreciated the set's real-world practicality. You first construct the painting's frame, which you can lean against the wall as you work on the canvas. The canvas is built separately and then mounted into the frame, secured with pins. This process mimics the real-life staging and presentation of art, adding a sense of value and importance to the finished piece.

There's a delightful Easter egg hidden in the canvas's construction. Art experts discovered that van Gogh extended the height of the canvas with a wooden strip during the painting process to give the sunflowers more space. LEGO humorously replicates this by having you build the canvas and then add a separate strip at the top with pins. The LEGO designers even used brown bricks to mimic wood, as you can see circled in red in the photo below.

This subtle detail might be imperceptible to casual viewers, but it's a wonderful touch for the builder. It reflects the trial and error that even a master like van Gogh experienced, and it adds an exclusive element that you can choose to share with others.

Building the full-bloom sunflowers can be a bit tedious, but it's unavoidable if you want to achieve such a convincing result. The repetitiveness mirrors van Gogh's meticulous approach. Take breaks and savor the process; this isn't a set to rush through.

I especially enjoyed constructing the wilting flowers and those shown in profile. Initially, they seemed abstract, but stepping back reveals their purpose as stems and leaves, adding depth and realism to the piece.

A common question from adults is, "Where do you put a LEGO set after you build it?" For this set, the answer is clear: on your dining room wall. This set is designed to be displayed and enjoyed long after you've finished building it. A week after completing mine, I still find new details to appreciate.

This is the first great LEGO set of 2025, and it comes highly recommended. The LEGO Vincent van Gogh - Sunflowers, Set #31215, retails for $199.99 and comprises 2615 pieces. It is available exclusively at the LEGO Store.