inspired by Vincent van Gogh
In conjunction with our special exhibition Van Gogh Alive, we invited you to share the (Van Gogh-inspired) impressions of your bedroom.
You can view all contest entries in our Paint Your Bedroom Contest online exhibit.
Contest winners:
teen category (ages 13-17)
Sunrise, FL
adult category (ages 18+)
Orange Park, FL
About the Contest:
The Van Gogh Alive exhibit celebrates the many places that inspired Van Gogh—from the famous starry skies and fields of sunflowers to the lesser known but equally important domestic spaces, including the bedroom. While traditionally associated with sleeping, during the current global pandemic, the bedroom has become our place of business, relaxation, festivity and imagination. What can a painting of your bedroom suggest during this obscure complex and profound moment in history? In light of these shifts, and inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s celebrated post-impressionist The Bedroom in Arles, painted in 1888, we invite you to share the impressions of your bedroom.
In 1888, Vincent van Gogh headed south to seek the bright sunshine of Arles, France. When he arrived, he rented the Yellow House. He desired to attract other artists from Paris to join him and found an artist colony. To prepare for these potential visitors, Van Gogh painted the rooms with warm, friendly colors. He also carefully selected furniture for the Yellow House. On September 9, 1888, Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo, “I brought two wide double beds, instead of iron beds, it gives a look at solidarity, durability, calm and if it takes more linen, that’s too bad. But it must have character.” After finding the perfect furnishings, he began passionately painting canvases to decorate the rooms, including the Sunflower series.
Days later, Van Gogh created the brightly- colored painting The Bedroom in Arles to celebrate his accomplishment. In another letter to his brother, in which he describes how pleased he was with his work, he writes, “This time it’s just simply my bedroom, only here colour is to do everything, and giving by its simplification a grander style to things, is to be suggestive here of rest or of sleep in general. In a word, looking at the picture ought to rest the brain, or rather the imagination.” In his choice of colors and composition, Van Gogh was able to transmit the restful nature of the space he had created, one that invited its occupant to relax and enjoy a respite from the world.
How it works:
1. Create an original Vincent van Gogh-inspired painting of your bedroom. Eligible painting mediums are oil, watercolor, acrylic, digital painting, and mix medium painting.
2. Upload your original design and description below by April 5, 2021. Please submit files as jpgs (2MB or less).
3. Your work will be entered into one of two categories based on your date of birth: Teen (ages 13-17) and Adult (age 18+).
4. All entries will be juried by a panel of Dalí Museum staff members, narrowing the submissions to three (3) adult finalists and three (3) teen finalists, and posted on TheDali.org by April 19, 2021.
5. Public voting will run April 19-May 3, 2021 on TheDali.org.
6. Winners will be contacted and announced by May 7, 2021. The first place winner in each category will win the grand prize (including Museum admission tickets and merchandise from The Dalí Museum Store). The second and third place winners will receive individual prizes of merchandise from The Dalí Museum Store.
Eligibility Requirements
The Contest is open to residents of the 50 United States and its territories who are at least 13 years old at the time of entry. Entrants under 18 may only submit entries with the permission of their parent or legal guardian. All entries must be original designs, created by the entrant, and cannot have been previously published, won another competition or contest or been used for advertising or promotional purposes. Each entrant may submit only one (1) design and must be submitted as a digital image in the following format: jpg (2MB or less) by Monday, April 5 at 11:59pm. No purchase necessary to enter or win. The Contest has no affiliation with Facebook, Instagram or any other third-party platform. We reserve the right to change these Rules at any time.