Take time to notice the subtle sounds, feelings, and smells around you with a sensory awareness meditation inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s Irises (1889). 

Van Gogh’s Irises is one of the best-known works in the Getty collection. This was one of the first paintings the artist began after entering an asylum following his mental breakdown in Arles, France. Van Gogh found respite and recovery in the garden—and in his art. 

With irises shown in full bloom erupting directly from the damp soil, this painting makes it easy to imagine lying down on the ground in a garden on a spring day. Being outside in a garden engages all of our senses—the feeling of the wind, the sound of birds, the scent of warm earth. This experience inspires the episode’s sensory meditation.

You can watch this episode on YouTube here: https://gty.art/4wZysOS

Find images, a transcript, and more resources on our website: https://www.getty.edu/podcasts/ommm/sensory-awareness-meditation-with-van-gogh-irises/

See Irises in person at the Getty Center: https://www.getty.edu/visit/ 

Hear about conservator Devi Ormond’s transformative visit to the Monastery of Saint Paul de Mausole, the asylum where Van Gogh made this painting, in this week’s deeper dive conversation. Look for this conversation in your podcast feed or on our YouTube channel Thursday, or find it on our website. 

Subscribe to OMMM be the first to hear new episodes.

For more art history insights, check out our other Getty Podcasts shows at www.getty.edu/podcasts

• Recording Artists tells artist biographies using archival material from the Getty Research Institute: https://www.getty.edu/podcasts/recording-artists/
• If Objects Could Talk is a family-friendly show where Getty museum objects, like a Greek vase or porcelain clock, come alive to share their story: https://www.getty.edu/podcasts/if-objects-could-talk/
• ReCurrent chronicles the people who shape our culture and keep the past alive: https://www.getty.edu/podcasts/recurrent/
• Art + Ideas showcases interviews with artists, architects, scientists, and cultural luminaries by former Getty President Jim Cuno: https://www.getty.edu/podcasts/art-and-ideas/

Watch our YouTube series Becoming Artsy, where host Jessie Hendricks dives headfirst into understanding the art world through hands-on explorations: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLij2XTFgmBSQ0KxxtvqwZnQPX7Ag9eqFn&si=TuZtMHO0ZXcDoR6-

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to catch lectures, interviews, and more from the world of art, conservation, and cultural heritage: https://www.youtube.com/@gettymuseum

Through its programs—Getty Conservation Institute, Getty Foundation, Getty Museum, Getty Research Institute, and Getty Trust—Getty shares and advances the world’s visual art and cultural heritage, both in Los Angeles and throughout the world. 

Learn more about all we do for art on our website:

• Getty: https://www.getty.edu/
• Getty Conservation Institute: https://www.getty.edu/conservation/
• Getty Foundation: https://www.getty.edu/foundation/
• Getty Museum: https://www.getty.edu/museum/
• Getty Research Institute: https://www.getty.edu/research/