Vincent van Gogh painted the painting "Midday Sleep" while he was hospitalized in a sanatorium in Saint-Rémy in the south of France, in the last days of 1889 and the first days of 1890. He took the composition of this work from one of Francois Mieh's designs. Van Gogh copied some of Francois Mié's works. He considered Mieh to be one of the greatest painters of his century and respected him a lot.

Painted during a challenging period, "Midday Sleep" reflects van Gogh's search for solace amidst turmoil.