LEGO Unveils Van Gogh's Sunflowers with Hidden Art Surprise

The first thing to know about the LEGO Art Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers set is its impressive size. Measuring 21 inches high and 16 inches wide, it's approximately 60% the size of the original painting, making it quite a substantial piece that's a bit unwieldy to handle. This set is designed to be taken seriously as a tribute to one of the world's most famous artworks, and it's meant to be displayed in your home as a piece of art. This reflects LEGO's ongoing transition from being seen as an adult curiosity to a legitimate adult hobby.

Out March 1### LEGO Art Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers

0$199.99 at LEGO StoreThe size and scope of this LEGO set demand that it be hung up in a living space as art, an important distinction as LEGO evolves from an adult curiosity to a respected adult hobby.

LEGO Art Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers

93 ImagesVincent van Gogh painted his renowned series of Sunflowers during his stay in Arles, France, a particularly fruitful period in his career. Van Gogh felt a profound emotional connection to the sunflower, associating it with gratitude. He saw it as his personal muse, as he noted in a letter to a friend:

"If [Georges] Jeannin has the peony, [Ernest] Quost the hollyhock, I indeed, before others, have taken the sunflower."

In August 1888, van Gogh created four versions of sunflowers in a vase. He returned to this theme in January 1889, painting a repetition of the third version and two different repetitions of the fourth version.

Among these seven paintings, the fourth version and its two repetitions are the most well-known. The original fourth version (F454) is displayed at the National Gallery in London, England. One repetition (F457) can be seen at the Sompo Museum of Art in Tokyo, Japan. The other repetition (F458), which is likely the most iconic due to its vibrant color composition, is showcased at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Founded in 1973, the Van Gogh Museum collaborated with LEGO to release LEGO Vincent van Gogh - Sunflowers, a homage to the F458 repetition. The LEGO set is crafted as a three-dimensional relief, using abstract pieces to mimic van Gogh's distinctive thick brushstrokes.

When you open the box, you'll find 34 numbered bags and an instruction booklet with a QR code. Scanning this code leads to a podcast that delves into van Gogh and the inspirations behind his work.

I was impressed by the set's real-world practicality. You first assemble the painting's frame, which you can lean against a wall while you work on the canvas. Then, you build the canvas itself with the painting on top.

You complete the set by mounting the canvas into the frame and securing it with pins, a process that mirrors the real-life staging and presentation of art, subtly enhancing the set's perceived value and importance.

There's a delightful Easter egg hidden in the canvas' construction. When experts analyzed F458, they found that van Gogh extended the canvas height with a wooden strip at the top late in the painting process to give the sunflowers more room.

LEGO playfully replicates this quirk in the build. You first construct the canvas as a single piece, then attach a separate strip at the top with pins. This detail, circled in red in the photo below, is made with brown bricks to resemble wood.

This seemingly minor detail is what makes it so special to me. It's invisible to casual observers; only the builder knows it's there. It evokes the sense of trial and error that even a master like van Gogh experienced while creating. It also adds an element of exclusivity, as the builder can choose whether to share this secret with others.

Building the full-bloom sunflowers can be somewhat tedious, but it's unavoidable given the level of detail needed to achieve such a realistic look. The repetition reflects van Gogh's meticulous approach. Take breaks to make the most of the experience; this isn't a set to rush through. Savor the process and get your money's worth.

I particularly enjoyed constructing the wilting flowers and those depicted in profile rather than head-on. Initially, they seemed abstract and random, but stepping back reveals their true form as stems and leaves.

A common question I get from other adults is, "Where do you put a LEGO set after you build it?" For this set, the answer is straightforward: on my dining room wall. This is the perfect mindset for potential builders to adopt. Knowing exactly where it will go adds to the anticipation, and you can enjoy it long after completion. A week after finishing, I'm still appreciating its three-dimensional details.

This is the first outstanding LEGO set of 2025, and I highly recommend it.

LEGO Vincent van Gogh - Sunflowers, Set #31215, is priced at $199.99 and consists of 2615 pieces. It is available exclusively at the LEGO Store.

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