Statue of Vincent and Theo van Gogh

The attenuated figures have similar modelling to Zadkine's statue De verwoeste stad ("The devastated city") in Rotterdam.

The 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) high light coloured stone plinth comes from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in the south of France, where Vincent van Gogh resided for a year, and was donated by the municipal council of the French town.

The front is inscribed with a quotation in French from one of the last letters written by Vincent to Theo van Gogh, dated 23 July 1890.

This letter remained unfinished and unsent at the time of Vincent's death; he had it with him when he shot himself on 27 July, causing wounds that ultimately led to his death two days later:[1] par mon intermédiaire tu as ta part à la production même de certaines toiles qui même dans la debâcle gardent leur calme uit de laatste brief van vincent aan theo The words can be liberally translated to English as through my deeds you have witnessed the creation of several paintings which will breathe tranquillity even in times of upheaval from the last letter from vincent to theo The statue was a gift from Van Lanschot Bankiers, to mark the 225th anniversary of the founding of the bank in 1737.

In his earlier work, Zadkine had discussed the relationship of Vincent with his brother with Van Gogh expert Mark Tralbaut, and an initial design had the two men seated, but Zadkine quickly abandoned that concept; within a matter of days after the commission was granted, he worked up a plaster model of the men standing together.