Vincent Van Gogh

This small pixel-art mosaic by In The Woup depicts a cheerful, Mario-like character surrounded by four bright yellow sunflowers. The figure wears a blue overall and has a distinctive pixelated face, while the flowers rise around him on green stems. The character’s appearance deliberately combines the instantly recognisable visual language of Nintendo’s Mario with references to Vincent van Gogh, particularly the artist’s iconic sunflower paintings.

The mosaic is composed of individually arranged coloured tiles, creating a deliberately low-resolution aesthetic that recalls classic 8-bit and video-game graphics. Its vivid yellow, blue and green colours stand out strongly against the weathered grey stone of the Seine embankment. The playful miniature intervention contrasts with the monumental historic architecture and landscape surrounding the Tuileries and gives an otherwise austere wall a distinctly contemporary character.

The work is part of In The Woup’s Mario Worldz approach, in which Mario is repeatedly transformed through crossovers with other cultural, artistic and fictional worlds. In this case, the combination pays tribute to Vincent van Gogh, creating a playful dialogue between video-game culture and nineteenth-century art.