One of the world’s best-known paintings, Vincent van Gogh’s colour bomb of Sunflowers, is heading to the restoration studio.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which owns the work, is taking it off the wall for six weeks so that its condition can be researched and it can be restored.

Made in Arles in the south of France in 1889, the work was one of five paintings the Dutchman made of the flowers in a vase, using primarily three shades of yellow. He wrote in his letters that they symbolised ‘gratitude’.

Press officer Milou Bollen told DutchNews.nl that it wasn’t possible to say why experts believe the painting needs restoration, but that it will share all the findings of the first research phase.

‘When the research is finished, we will be able to inform the public about the condition of the painting and what exactly needs limited restoration,’ she explained.
‘A special Sunflowers wall has been installed in the museum with information [and] on 24 January, 5 February and 14 February, our researchers will talk about the painting and the restoration in a series of live talk shows on Facebook and Instagram.’

The crowd-puller itself is expected to be back on display from Friday 22 February.