No other work by Vincent van Gogh has sparked such persistent speculation over its subject and intent as Still Life: Two Red Herrings, painted in 1889. The painting’s title itself is a puzzle: “red herring” is an English idiom for a misleading clue, yet van Gogh was living in France and writing in Dutch at the time. Some scholars suggest the title was added posthumously, while others point to van Gogh’s fascination with color and symbolism in his late works.

The painting’s documented existence in his correspondence is uncertain, adding to the air of mystery that surrounds it. On the canvas, two gleaming fish lie parallel on a rough wooden table, their scales rendered in thick, urgent strokes of red and orange against a background of deep, swirling blues. The moment is one of stillness, yet the brushwork pulses with energy, hinting at the artist’s restless state during his stay at the asylum in Saint-Rémy. The fish, a humble subject, become almost monumental under van Gogh’s gaze—perhaps a nod to the everyday struggles and the nourishment of body and spirit.

Unlike the carefully organized abundance of Chardin’s 18th-century still lifes, van Gogh’s composition is sparse and direct, focusing the viewer’s attention on the raw presence of the herrings and the emotional charge of color. The history of Still Life: Two Red Herrings as an object is less clear than many of van Gogh’s other works. Its medium is not firmly established, with some records suggesting oil on canvas, others positing board or paper. The painting’s whereabouts after van Gogh’s death are uncertain; it is not listed among the works sent to his brother Theo, nor does it appear in early inventories.

Today, it is recognized as a significant example of van Gogh’s late still lifes, reflecting his ongoing experiments with color and composition during a turbulent period. Whether or not the title was van Gogh’s own, the work continues to invite debate and fascination among scholars and viewers alike.