Many consider Van Gogh's Arles period to be the most creative of his career. Indeed, many of Van Gogh's best known works were produced during his time in this provencal town. In a way, the paintings executed in Arles reflect a synthesis of the two previous artistic periods of Van Gogh's development. In Nuenen, Van Gogh would emerge as a skilled painter with a passion for painting outdoors. In Paris, Van Gogh would refine his evolving talents to incorporate a new world of colour and style introduced by the Impressionists. In Arles, these two would merge and some of Van Gogh's best-loved works (Still Life: Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers or Harvest at La Crau, for example) would result.
