The LEGO® Art theme has been on an interesting journey since it was introduced in 2020. The theme has evolved from mosaic-like pictures to sculptures and 3D. The latest addition to the LEGO Art collection is a picture which replicates an iconic piece of art from an inspired artistic mind. Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh had a prolific career, favouring oil paints for much of his work. Although he had a favoured style, his muse took on many forms, including landscapes, objects and people, including himself. In the short time he was an artist, he created over 2000 pieces of work, and one of his most notable is ‘Sunflowers’ which is the subject of this upcoming LEGO Art set.
Product Details
Set Name: Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers | Set Number: 31215 | Pieces: 2615 | Theme: Art
Number of Bags: Bags x 28 | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: N/A
RRP: £169.99/$199.99/199.99€/299.99AUD/229.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & LEGO Retailers
Van Gogh often created different versions of the same subjects, including sunflowers. The painting which has inspired this set comes from the Arles series. The LEGO version closely resembles the London version but is based on the ‘Repetition’ variant on display in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. These versions of sunflowers feature a bouquet of the bright yellow flowers displayed in a small vase. The difference between the Amsterdam version and the others is the use of blue on one of the flowers and the brown edging. There is a companion podcast for the set, but it was unavailable at the time of building the set. This will offer further details on how the set was created in partnership with the Van Gogh Museum. A small change, but I’m glad the audio aspect of the set is no longer known as a ‘soundtrack’.
The first thing you build is the frame. Unlike some of the earlier LEGO Art sets, the Sunflowers frame is a separate section that borders the picture once it’s built. The frame is a mixture of white and brick-yellow pieces, giving it a more modern feel compared to the recent Mona Lisa Art set. However, it is not so modern that it looks odd against the rest of the picture. Once the picture part of the set is complete, it slots around the ‘canvas’ and is held in place with a series of Technic pin axels.
The picture is built in sections, mostly on 16×16 grey plates. Each one features a spread of elements which form the background of the painting. As you can see from the image below, the part of the build also includes sections of different colours, clips and gaps, which help with the rest of the build. These visual markers not only blend with the 3D parts added on top of them but also help guide where other elements are built up around them.
As you add further plates to form the canvas, you’ll notice a lattice of brown bricks and grey disc plates. These help keep the sections together, but I did find they sometimes begin to come loose. This has been an issue with other Art sets. Building on a hard, flat surface is recommended, especially once you start adding the 3D detailing. The set can be hung on a wall thanks to unique hook brick. You don’t need to use any fancy fixings to display it on a wall, but due to the increased weight of a mass of LEGO bricks, certainly means you need to make sure whatever you place on a wall is securely fixed. I’m not sure I’d trust using fixings such as the 3M Command Strips. The only noticeable thing from the back is a random strip which runs along the top of the picture. LEGO sets are normally rather symmetric, but it turns out this is a fun Easter Egg. There is a similar strip added to the original pairing, commonly believed to have been added by Van Gogh.
With the background complete, the rest of the image is added in sections. Most of the sunflower heads are built similarly. These use a large steering wheel element as the core for a spread of petals to be added. There is a surprising amount of variation in the petals, from slight differences in the use of colours and elements. These can become a little repetitive and awkward to align, but the finished appearance is most definitely worth it. The vase is created from a mix of tiles and plates, including 6×2 flat tiles printed with Van Gogh’s signature.
Having built a few different LEGO Art sets, I think I prefer the style of the later sets, including this one. They are more interesting to build compared to the mosaic-style sets. The 3D effect of the image offers a surprisingly faithful recreation of Van Gogh’s iconic artwork. It also requires a surprising amount of building, it’s incredible to see just how many elements are used to build a simple flower. Above all, it creates an impressive piece of home decor that’s far more eye-catching than a mere print could ever be, although I’m sure this LEGO version will command a much higher price point. The LEGO Art Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers can be pre-ordered now and will be available from March 1st.
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The LEGO Group provided BricksFanz with this set for this review. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group. Providing a set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
