When Vincent van Gogh painted Still life with a plate of onions in January 1889, he was recovering from the infamous episode in Arles that saw him admitted to the hospital after mutilating his own ear. The painting was created during his convalescence, a period marked by both physical pain and a search for stability. It stands as a quiet testament to his resilience: while the world outside was turbulent, Van Gogh turned his gaze to the humble objects around him.

The onions, a simple meal, may have been all he could afford or stomach at the time, and their presence in the painting is both literal and symbolic—a record of hardship and endurance. On the table, a white plate heaped with onions sits beside a bottle, a loaf of bread, and a letter. The objects are rendered with thick, swirling brushstrokes, every contour vibrating with the energy of Van Gogh’s hand. The onions, with their papery skins and tangled roots, seem almost alive, their forms echoing the turbulence of the artist’s mind.

The letter, addressed to his brother Theo, hints at the importance of family and communication in Van Gogh’s life—an anchor in troubled times. Unlike the polished still lifes of Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, Van Gogh’s composition is raw and immediate, the colors and textures heightening the sense of presence and vulnerability. The exact medium of Still life with a plate of onions is not always specified, but it is generally accepted as oil on canvas, typical of Van Gogh’s works from this period. The painting was not a commission but a deeply personal work, remaining with the artist until his death later that year.

It eventually passed into the care of Theo van Gogh and then to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, where it resides today. This still life is often seen as an intimate window into Van Gogh’s daily existence and state of mind during one of the most difficult chapters of his career, embodying both his suffering and his unyielding dedication to art.