LEGO Art Vincent van Gogh - Sunflowers (31215) launched on March 1st and is a fantastic celebration of the artist's life and work.

Created in collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, it's a 2,615-piece build based on the 1889 work Sunflowers, complete with 16 sunflowers with adjustable petals, a horizontal strip to represent the extended top of the canvas, and a 'Vincent' signature element.

With a sturdy outer frame, it looks stunning on the wall - that's why iDisplayit have made a bespoke wall-mounted display case for LEGO Sunflowers (they might also have some news very soon about a custom printed frame that will be compatible with our LEGO wall display case...!).

What's the build process like?

LEGO Art Vincent van Gogh - Sunflowers (31215)

Price: $199.99

Release date: Available now

Pieces: 2,615

Size: 54cm x 41cm x 5cm (H x W x D)

LEGO Insiders points: 1,360

LEGO Art 31215 consists of 2,615 pieces and is an 'Adults Welcome' set, which means it's aimed at builders aged 18 and over. The building instructions booklet has 312 pages, and the build is complete in 385 steps.

It's a detailed build, but not a complicated one. First, you assemble the frame, which is set aside until the final stages of the build process. Next comes the canvas and the background of the painting, including that extra brick-built 'wooden' strip that extends the canvas at the top.

The sunflowers themselves are intricate, with individual petals and some unusual assembly techniques. We're not surprised that some builders have difficulty getting all the petals to stay in place, but it's worth it for the finished effect.

Last of all, you slot the painting into the frame and secure it with 16 locking pins. This gives the finished set a really sturdy feeling, although we've seen some reviews that say there can be too much tension to slide everything smoothly into position in this last stage.

Our impressions of the build

First impressions are, this is an impressive set. It's large - both in piece count and in finished dimensions (54 x 41 cm and about 5cm deep). There are a lot of steps and some original assembly techniques, but nothing too challenging for an adult or experienced builder.

If you like slow and steady builds, you should find this one enjoyable. There are a lot of details, but they're built up gradually and logically, just like layering paint onto a canvas. In this way, it pays good homage to Van Gogh's signature style of using thick paint to create texture and depth.

What are the problem points?

We found the sunflowers themselves to be the most problematic part of this set. They're described as having "adjustable petals", but in fact, we found it a challenge to avoid having them overlap.

Because of this, you do have to carefully adjust the exact positioning of each layer to get everything to fit - and then hope that the next layer won't collide either.

It's a bit fiddly, and trying to adjust the spacing on the sunflower dials later can cause them to fall apart quite easily, so you really do have to take your time and snap everything into place as securely as possible.

Final thoughts

Do we like LEGO Sunflowers? Yes, absolutely. It's clearly been designed with love, both by LEGO and by the Van Gogh Museum. It's not an exact replica of the original artwork, but it comes very close, especially for a brick-built wall-hanging piece.

The 'Vincent' signature tile is a nice touch to complete this tribute to Vincent van Gogh's art. It's a shame the tile is placed in step 229, just 60% of the way through the build. It would be lovely if it were the last piece pressed into place, to 'sign' the finished artwork.

All in all, an enjoyable build, a very creative set, which makes a fine piece of art in its own right, and a touching tribute to one of the all-time masters.

Our Build Rating:

9/10

How to display LEGO Art Sunflowers (31215)

This set is currently rated a very high 4.8 stars on LEGO.com. Some of the only criticisms include flower petals popping off, finished sets falling off the wall, and one person who objected to there being a human on the box.

Our LEGO Sunflowers display case can help to protect some of those more delicate design features, with a rear panel that mounts directly to your wall and a clear front panel that can be removed at any time using our unique disguised hooks.

We all know the agony of seeing a detailed LEGO set knocked over or fall to the floor - so why take the chance? Pop your LEGO Art 31215 behind gallery-style protective acrylic and display it with confidence!