In 1922, the Detroit Institute of Arts purchased Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait (1887), the first American acquisition of the Dutch artist’s work. The portrait is one of his best: wearing a straw hat, he paints himself in soft, earthy strokes of color (he would die three years later, in 1890). After that first acquisition, Van Gogh’s work began to appear in group shows across the country, and in 1935 his paintings were given their first solo show in the U.S. This exhibition looks at landmark moments in America’s understanding of Van Gogh. Olive Trees (1889), Stairway at Auvers (1890), and Wheat Fields with Reaper, Auvers (1890) are among the paintings on view. —E.C.