Get Autumn’s Waffle Stand with LEGO® Friends purchases of $870 or more*Learn more

(0)
How LEGO® designers and the Van Gogh Museum built a masterpiece

How LEGO® designers and the Van Gogh Museum built a masterpiece

When Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh sat down to paint the Sunflowers in his French home in 1889, he had no idea that he would be painting one of the world’s most recognizable and favorite images.

And yet, in the more than 100 years since the painting first appeared, it has been seen all over the world in a staggering number of forms. Now, we’re very proud to represent this iconic image in LEGO® bricks with the LEGO Art set Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers.

To tell us about this set and how it was designed, we caught up with the designer Stijn Oom.

How we made the sunflowers out of LEGO® bricks

Even before coming to work on this set, Stijn was familiar with one of his country’s most famous artists.

“As someone from the Netherlands, you grow up being surrounded by Van Gogh,” he says.

“My parents are both educators in art history and growing up, we would visit museums often; but my love for Vincent truly blossomed when I worked on this project. It is one thing to visually look at his work, but then also to research his life and backstory was something else. It truly puts into perspective how talented he was.”

It was with great pride that Stijn began translating the work of this iconic artist into LEGO bricks.

But where do you start when you’re trying to make a 3D model of a painting?

“Initially, I worked on a very rough first concept sketch,” says Stijn.

“Obviously, with LEGO bricks, there is the possibility of going into a full 3D translation, but we decided to stay close to the original and limit the extrusion. Using our LEGO system as a medium, we look for existing elements that relate to the shapes and brushstrokes in the original artwork. This way we can decide the scale and size of the model.”

In keeping with other LEGO Art sets, the set is 3D but still represents the original 2D image.

And to ensure it was recreated with the greatest realism possible, Stijn had the best possible collaborators.

Working with the experts

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam houses the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings, drawings and letters in the world.

“We worked closely together with the Van Gogh Museum and its experts, involving them in the design process,” says Stijn. “The connection helped us to elevate this work to a new level. Besides getting in-detail feedback and suggestions as to how to improve the model, they also provided us with a 1:1 replica that was sent to our office in Billund, Denmark. The replica gave us great insight and helped us determine the right colors to use for the LEGO set.”

This is important because – when it comes to Van Gogh – color is a crucial component of what makes his work unique.

“Deciding what colors to use was one of the most challenging aspects of this model,” says Stijn. “Van Gogh said that he painted the Sunflowers with ‘three shades of yellow and nothing else’. Having a selective color palette is a strength, as it creates a cohesive language. However, it can also be limiting when you are trying to replicate an existing art piece. My objective as a designer changes from trying to use exactly the right colors, to finding a color balance and harmony that mimics the original artwork. Of course, we also were at liberty to play with the natural shadows created by the bricks, creating a gradient in color.”

The collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum also allowed us to gain exclusive access to record our podcast after opening hours. You can peek behind the scenes of the shoot, filmed in the serene, visitor-free beauty of the space – a rare perspective that contrasts the usual bustling museum environment.

Van Gogh’s next great masterpiece

The finished set will make a challenging and engaging build, and a stunning display set. We asked Stijn why he thought Van Gogh’s work had proved to be so enduring and so loved by so many people.

“His paintings are full of life and variety, with subjects that feel both straightforward and easy to relate to,” Stijn says. “They have a timeless energy and a sense of being in the moment, which is why people from every generation keep discovering and connecting with them.”

So, whether you’re a long-term fan of Van Gogh or are looking to learn while you build a set that is sure to brighten up every space, why not welcome the beautiful blooms of the sunflowers into your home?

Looking for more?

Check out the Adults Welcome homepage to see our collection of adult-focused sets and articles!