How many versions of The Bedroom did Van Gogh paint?

Van Gogh painted three versions of The Bedroom. The first (October 1888) is at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam — it was damaged by humidity. The second (September 1889, painted at Saint-Rémy) is at the Art Institute of Chicago. The third (smaller, 1889) was painted for his mother and sister and is now at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

Where is Van Gogh's The Bedroom?

The first and most famous version is at the Van Gogh Museum at Museumplein 6 in Amsterdam. The second version is at the Art Institute of Chicago. The third version is at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. All three are in permanent public collections.

Why is the perspective distorted in Van Gogh's Bedroom?

The distorted perspective — where angles don't meet correctly and the room seems to tilt — is deliberate. Van Gogh wrote detailed letters about his intentions for the painting and specifically chose flat areas of colour without shading or perspective corrections to achieve 'an effect of absolute repose.' The slight wrongness of the geometry contributes to the painting's slightly disorienting, dream-like quality.

What does The Bedroom mean?

Van Gogh painted The Bedroom to represent his first permanent home after years of itinerant poverty. He wrote to Theo that he wanted the painting to suggest 'rest and sleep.' The colours — pale lilac walls, yellow bed, red blanket, green shutters — are intensely vivid but combine to create what Van Gogh intended as a calming, restful effect. The painting is as much about the emotional state of finally having a home as it is about the room itself.

Can you sleep in Van Gogh's Bedroom?

Yes — in 2016, Airbnb collaborated with the Art Institute of Chicago to create an exact full-scale recreation of the bedroom at the Yellow House in Arles, based on the painting. The replica was available to rent for $10 per night for three nights only. The project generated enormous media coverage and demonstrated the continuing cultural power of Van Gogh's most intimate painting.

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Most Searched Artwork #44 Worldwide

The Bedroom

Vincent van Gogh · 1888 · Van Gogh Museum

Quick Answer

The Bedroom is an oil painting by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, first painted in October 1888 in Arles, southern France. It depicts Van Gogh's bedroom at the Yellow House in Arles — a simple room with an iron bed, two chairs, a table, a window, and various personal items. Van Gogh wrote that he intended the painting to represent 'absolute repose' and 'perfect rest.' He painted three versions: the first is at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the second at the Art Institute of Chicago, and the third at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

The Bedroom by Vincent van Gogh — a sparse, vividly coloured room with a bed, chairs, and personal effects

Public domain — Vincent van Gogh, 1888. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam / Google Art Project / Wikimedia Commons.

At a Glance

Artist: Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890)
Created: 1888
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 72.4 × 91.3 cm (28.5 × 35.9 in)
Location: Van Gogh Museum, Museumplein 6, Amsterdam (first of three versions)

Find it at

Van Gogh Museum

Amsterdam, Netherlands

"Van Gogh painted his own bedroom three times — and said he wanted it to feel like absolute rest"

History & Story

Van Gogh painted the first Bedroom in October 1888 after completing the Yellow House, where he had rented a room in anticipation of Paul Gauguin's arrival. He was excited about having his own permanent studio and residence for the first time and wanted to celebrate the space. He wrote to Theo: 'I wanted to achieve an effect of absolute repose... no stippling, no hatching, only flat colours in harmony.'

The first version was damaged by humidity and Van Gogh painted a second version in September 1889 at Saint-Rémy (now in Chicago). A third smaller version was made for his mother and sister (now in Paris). The distorted perspective and tilted angles of the room — which have led some to suggest Van Gogh saw the world differently due to mental illness — were in fact deliberate choices to convey a particular emotional atmosphere.

Why It Matters

The Bedroom is unique in Van Gogh's oeuvre as a painting about his own private space — his attempt to create a 'home' after years of itinerant poverty. The distorted angles and vivid colours are not symptoms of illness but deliberate expressions of psychological state: the room presses in on the viewer, the bed is too big, the perspective is slightly wrong. Van Gogh was painting how it felt to be in the room, not just what the room looked like.

Key Facts & Figures

Three versions: October 1888 (Amsterdam), September 1889 (Chicago), 1889 (Paris Orsay)

Intended feeling: Van Gogh wrote he wanted it to convey 'absolute repose and perfect rest' — despite its vivid colours

Deliberate distortion: The skewed perspective is intentional, not a symptom of illness — Van Gogh described it in detail to Theo

Airbnb reproduction: In 2016, Airbnb and the Art Institute of Chicago created an exact full-scale replica of the bedroom for visitors to sleep in, renting for $10/night

Tiny portraits on the wall: Small portraits visible on the wall above the bed may be of Eugène Boch (Belgian painter) and Milliet (French officer) — friends in Arles

Common Questions About The Bedroom

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