In 1886, Vincent Van Gogh (1853 – 1890) spent the summer and autumn in Paris, creating more than 30 pieces, including “Poppies,” to hone his use of color and neo-Impressionist theory. Despite a tragic, tumultuous and impoverished life, Van Gogh remarkably accessed a wellspring of love for nature and beauty that he celebrated in his art. Unacknowledged during his lifetime, Van Gogh’s vast, inventive body of work has elevated him to one of the most influential artists of the last century.