Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) pursued various vocations before deciding to become an artist at the age of 27. Over the course of his decade-long career he produced nearly 900 paintings and more than 1,100 works on paper. Irises in The Met collection, shown in detail on our tea towel, is one of four lush still lifes that Van Gogh completed in 1890, prior to his departure from the asylum in Saint-Rémy.