Clasped in the tiny hands of a child, this white carnation is an obvious symbol of innocence, purity and youth. It is an essential element of a work painted by Van Gogh a few weeks before his death. This artwork bears witness to the perfectly unremarkable relationship between the painter and the villagers of Auvers, despite his mutilated ear and somewhat unkempt appearance. Often imagined as a raging and unsociable lunatic, he was in fact well-mannered, gentlemanly and in possession of that rare ability to connect with people from all social backgrounds. The double portrait in which this carnation plays a symbolic role shows that both the parents and children themselves felt comfortable sitting for the Dutchman.