Vincent van Gogh's palette. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent Van Gogh Foundation). © RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY
Vincent van Gogh's palette. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent Van Gogh Foundation). © RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY
“How did he make those colors?”
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
Tickets (Member / Nonmember)
In-Person $28 / $35
Livestream $16 / $20
Like most artists of his time, Van Gogh used tubes of paint from color makers. In his colorful paintings from his time in Arles, he used around a dozen different pigments, by themselves or in many mixtures. One newly invented pigment he began to use faded in light, which has caused dramatic color shifts in some of his paintings. Learn more about what materials he used, and discover how we’re able to determine what they were.
Richard Newman, head of Scientific Research, Conservation, and Collections Management
Course Packages
Purchase a ticket package for the full ten-session “Van Gogh: Portraiture, Influence, and Legacy” course. Please note that this option is not available after the date of the first session.
Assistive listening system
Wheelchair accessible
Ticket Information
To order tickets by phone, call 1-800-440-6975 ($6 processing fee applies); to order in person, visit any MFA ticket desk.
Livestream Tickets
The livestream ticket gives access to a live feed of the event that can be watched remotely. You must be logged in to the account used to purchase the ticket in order to access the livestream on the Video Content page. Please log in at least 5 minutes before the start of the event to test your connection.
Livestream ticket holders must watch the event live; there is no recording of the event available for viewing at a later time.
Bag Checks
All bags are subject to inspection by Museum staff. Backpacks, large bags, all liquids including hand sanitizer and sunscreen, and outside food or drink are not permitted. Exceptions are made for medical or religious needs. All bags are strongly discouraged, and any bags larger than 11” x 15” must be checked in the Coat Room upon entry. Read our full bag check policy.