Thought this community would appreciate this lesser-known masterpiece. Painted during his Nuenen period, Van Gogh used a stuffed megabat (flying fox) specimen likely borrowed from a private regional collection.The painting accurately reflects the distinct biology of these megabats (family Pteropodidae), known for their large, dog-like faces, prominent eyes adapted for excellent vision, and the absence of echolocation. Van Gogh intentionally placed a light source behind the taxidermy mount to capture the translucent, glowing quality of its thin wing membranes (patagium) against the dark background.

Current Collection: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam