The forgotten master whose vibrant colors shaped Van Gogh’s iconic style

Art · Published 1 November 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before he became a household name, Vincent van Gogh was studying the work of Adolphe Monticelli. While Monticelli eventually fell out of fashion, his experimental use of color and heavy texture deeply influenced one of history's most famous painters.

Adolphe Monticelli was a 19th-century artist who enjoyed significant acclaim during his lifetime but later became considered 'unfashionable.' Despite this shift in public taste, his influence on Vincent van Gogh was profound. The connection is so strong that Van Gogh and his brother Theo were actively involved in publishing the first-ever book dedicated to Monticelli's work.

One specific piece of evidence for this influence is a flower painting by Monticelli owned by Van Gogh, which bears a striking resemblance to the famous 'Sunflowers.' Monticelli was known for his commitment to color vibrancy and his use of 'impasto'—a technique where paint is applied so thickly that it creates raised textures on the surface. To study these details, conservators at the National Gallery utilize raking light to highlight the physical topography of the paint.

Preserving Monticelli’s work presents a unique scientific challenge. The artist experimented by mixing resinous materials into nearly all layers of his paintings. This makes the works highly sensitive to standard solvents used to remove old varnish, which has historically discolored and clouded his intended bright colors. To navigate this risk without damaging the underlying wooden supports or sketching layers, conservators use non-contact techniques like optical coherence tomography (OCT). This light-based examination provides high-resolution cross-sectional views of the paint, a method also used by ophthalmologists to view the retina.

The goal of these interventions is to restore the sense of depth and color that Monticelli intended. By carefully reducing disfiguring varnish layers while protecting his experimental resins, conservators aim to reveal the artist's original vision—a vision that continues to resonate through the works of the artists he inspired.

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