Amid the poplars, entangled by the floral undergrowth, two lovers stand arm in arm. Their faces disappear into the forest floor. Painted the month before his death, Vincent van GoghsUndergrowth with Two Figuresbears a haunting quality. This painting, however, was once more lively. In his later years, Van Gogh took risks with vibrant colours that were known to fade, among them the pigment geranium lake. From descriptions in his letters and through modern scans, we know that cheery pink flowersnow whiteswayed amid the grasses, and those columnar blue trunks were once violet.

Though Van Goghs hues have cooled, lost to time,Undergrowth with Two Figuresis widely considered one of his masterpieces.