The ceramic board reproduction of Van Gogh's “Sunflowers” (commonly known as the Ashiya Sunflowers), produced by our company, is on display at the “A Renewal of Passion: The Impact of Van Gogh” exhibition currently being held at the Pola Museum of Art from May 31st.
This exhibition examines the historical influence of Van Gogh on artists who generated new passions relevant to their times, while also exploring the contemporary value of “Van Gogh.”
Van Gogh painted seven versions of sunflowers in a vase. Six exist today: in private collections, the Neue Pinakothek (Germany), the National Gallery (UK), the SOMPO Museum of Art (Japan), the Philadelphia Museum of Art (USA), and the Van Gogh Museum (Netherlands). One was destroyed by fire and cannot be seen.
The destroyed one's ceramic reproduction is currently on display. The painting originally purchased by Kobe industrialist Koyata Yamamoto for the equivalent of 200 million yen today as part of his vision for a museum dedicated to the Shirakaba School, unfortunately it was destroyed in the air raids of August 1945. Our company's technology has recreated it based on contemporary prints and photographs.
This year, marking 80 years since the end of the war, we feel this exhibition of the Sunflowers also holds significance in preserving records of artistic works.
Furthermore, this time, it is displayed next to Tsune Nakamura's “Sunflowers,” a work likely strongly inspired by Van Gogh's “Sunflowers,” allowing for comparative viewing. At the preview, many visitors stopped in front of “Sunflowers,” intently viewing the work and reading the explanations. This marks the first time such a comparative display of “Sunflowers” has been realized.
If you have the opportunity to visit Hakone, we encourage you to see it in person.
1 “A Renewal of Passion: The Impact of Van Gogh” Exhibition View 
2 “A Renewal of Passion: The Impact of Van Gogh” Exhibition View
【A Renewal of Passion: The Impact of Van Gogh】
Dates: Saturday, May 31, 2025 – Sunday, November 30, 2025 (Open daily throughout the exhibition period)
Venue: Pola Museum of Art, Exhibition Rooms 1, 2, 3
Organizer: Pola Art Foundation, Pola Museum of Art
