The Met Store Tableware*Van Gogh Irises Covered Mug with Tea Infuser

Reaching blooms from a radiant spring bouquet by Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) are adapted for our tea-infusing covered mug. In May of 1890, just before his departure from the asylum in Saint-Rémy, the artist painted four exceptional still lifes, including the exuberant Irises (1890) in The Met collection. Van Gogh sought to achieve a “harmonious and soft” effect by placing the “violet” flowers against a “pink background.” Owing to his use of fugitive red pigments, these colors have since faded with time.