Vincent van Gogh (Dutch (worked in France), 1853–1890), Houses at Auvers, 1890. Oil on canvas. Bequest of John T. Spaulding. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 

BOSTON, MASS.- This year, conservators at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, are studying and treating two paintings by Vincent van Gogh from the Museum's collection, painted during the final years of his life. Visitors can stop by the MFA's Conservation in Action gallery to watch a conservator work on Houses at Auvers (1890) from May 2–June 3, followed by Enclosed Field with Ploughman (1889) from June 6–July 5. 

Van Gogh's paintings are characterized by vibrant colors, textures and brushstrokes. Over time, unoriginal varnish layers have been added for a variety of reasons. The treatments aim to remove these later coatings and return the paintings to a more authentic appearance. 

Van Gogh painted Enclosed Field with Ploughman in the autumn of 1889, based on a view from his window at an asylum in southern France. The varnish on the painting has yellowed from normal aging—removing it will reveal a truer, more subtly varied and animated surface with more of the original texture and tonal range. This conservation treatment has also provided the opportunity to consider frame options for the painting. 

Houses at Auvers was painted by the artist the following summer, when he moved northwest of Paris. The work is coated with layers of glossy synthetic varnish, which fill the brushstrokes so thickly that the paint textures are substantially subdued. While not yellowed, the varnishes oversaturate the paints, making them oddly bright and homogeneous. Removing the varnishes will revive the life of the brushstrokes and allow the colors to interact as conservators believe Van Gogh would have wanted them to. 

Throughout the project, conservators will study both paintings' materials and techniques to better understand them in relation to Van Gogh's other late works. The conservators will share their discoveries in multiple Spotlight Talks, free with Museum admission, in the Conservation in Action gallery. On Wednesday, May 18, at 6, 6:30 and 7:15 pm, Lydia Vagts will discuss Houses at Auvers. On Sunday, June 19, at 1, 2 and 3 pm, Irene Konefel will highlight her work on Enclosed Field with Ploughman. 

The MFA is also tracking the conservators' progress on Instagram, using #mfaConservation.

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch (worked in France), 1853–1890), Enclosed Field with Ploughman, 1889. Oil on canvas. Bequest of William A. Coolidge. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.