two iterations of van Gogh's 
sunflowers, the one on the left slightly darker than the one on the right

Van Gogh's Sunflowers Illuminated: Art Meets Science

by Ella Hendriks Author and Marije Vellekoop Author

In this deep dive into the science and history of Van Gogh's Sunflowers, explore these famous paintings from the perspective of art restoration as the more than 30 painting conservation specialists that contributed to this volume take you through what goes into restoring and maintaining works of art like these. Using sophisticated machinery and methodology, these researchers and conservationists were able to study the paintings' compositions and look non-invasively under the top coat of paint to gain a better understanding of the process of creating them as well as catalog the approaches taken by previous restorationists in their attempts to conserve and maintain the paintings. Learn about the special significance of the sunflower to Van Gogh and about the painting techniques he employed to create these world-famous works of art.