DEAR VINCENT
DEAR VINCENT
DEAR VINCENT
Contents Vincent Van Gogh Early life Life as a preacher Finding solace in art Van Gogh’s ear Painting styles and influences Color palette Cypresses and Olives Flowers Wheat fields Portraits Self- Portraits The story of Starry Night Life in asylum The letters Death Movies on Van Gogh Van Gogh museum Legacy
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Contents Vincent Van Gogh Early life Life as a preacher Finding solace in art Van Gogh’s ear Painting styles and influences Color palette Cypresses and Olives Flowers Wheat fields Portraits Self- Portraits The story of Starry Night Life in asylum The letters Death Movies on Van Gogh Van Gogh museum Legacy
1 2 4 5 6 8 8 10 12 16 20 24 28 32 34 40 42 48 49
Vincent Van Gogh (30 March 1853 – 29 July 1890)
Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, most of which date from the last two years of his life. They include landscapes, still lifes, portraits and self-portraits, and are characterised by bold colours and dramatic, impulsive and expressive brushwork that contributed to the foundations of modern art.
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Vincent Van Gogh (30 March 1853 – 29 July 1890)
Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, most of which date from the last two years of his life. They include landscapes, still lifes, portraits and self-portraits, and are characterised by bold colours and dramatic, impulsive and expressive brushwork that contributed to the foundations of modern art.
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Early Life
Vincent Van Gogh, 1866 Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on 30 March 1853 into a Dutch Reformed Church family in Groot-Zundert, in the predominantly Catholic province of North Brabant in the Netherlands. He was the oldest surviving child of Theodorus van Gogh, a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, and Anna ~2
Cornelia Carbentus. Van Gogh was given the name of his grandfather, and of a brother stillborn exactly a year before his birth. Van Gogh’s mother was a rigid and religious woman who emphasised the importance of family to the point of claustrophobia for those around her. Theodorus’s salary was modest, but the
Church supplied the family with a house, a maid, two cooks, a gardener, a carriage and horse, and Anna instilled in the children a duty to uphold the family’s high social position. Van Gogh was a serious and thoughtful child. He was taught at home by his mother and a governess, and in 1860 was sent to the village school. In 1864, he was placed in a boarding school at Zevenbergen, where he felt abandoned, and campaigned to come home. Instead, in 1866 his parents sent him to the middle school in Tilburg, where he was deeply unhappy. His interest in art began at a young age. He was encouraged to draw as a child by his mother, and his early drawings are expressive, but do not approach the intensity of his later work. In July 1869 Van Gogh’s uncle Cent obtained a position for him at the art dealers Goupil & Cie in The Hague. After completing his training in 1873, he was transferred
to Goupil’s London branch on Southampton Street, and took lodgings at 87 Hackford Road, Stockwell. This was a happy time for Van Gogh; he was successful at work, and at 20 was earning more than his father. Theo’s wife later remarked that this was the best year of Vincent’s life. At age 15, van Gogh’s family was struggling financially, and he was forced to leave school and go to work. He got a job at his Uncle Cornelis’ art dealership, Goupil & Cie., a firm of art dealers in The Hague. By this time, van Gogh was fluent in French, German and English, as well as his native Dutch. In June of 1873, van Gogh was transferred to the Groupil Gallery in London. There, he fell in love with English culture. He visited art galleries in his spare time, and also became a fan of the writings of Charles Dickens and George Eliot.
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Early Life
Vincent Van Gogh, 1866 Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on 30 March 1853 into a Dutch Reformed Church family in Groot-Zundert, in the predominantly Catholic province of North Brabant in the Netherlands. He was the oldest surviving child of Theodorus van Gogh, a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, and Anna ~2
Cornelia Carbentus. Van Gogh was given the name of his grandfather, and of a brother stillborn exactly a year before his birth. Van Gogh’s mother was a rigid and religious woman who emphasised the importance of family to the point of claustrophobia for those around her. Theodorus’s salary was modest, but the
Church supplied the family with a house, a maid, two cooks, a gardener, a carriage and horse, and Anna instilled in the children a duty to uphold the family’s high social position. Van Gogh was a serious and thoughtful child. He was taught at home by his mother and a governess, and in 1860 was sent to the village school. In 1864, he was placed in a boarding school at Zevenbergen, where he felt abandoned, and campaigned to come home. Instead, in 1866 his parents sent him to the middle school in Tilburg, where he was deeply unhappy. His interest in art began at a young age. He was encouraged to draw as a child by his mother, and his early drawings are expressive, but do not approach the intensity of his later work. In July 1869 Van Gogh’s uncle Cent obtained a position for him at the art dealers Goupil & Cie in The Hague. After completing his training in 1873, he was transferred
to Goupil’s London branch on Southampton Street, and took lodgings at 87 Hackford Road, Stockwell. This was a happy time for Van Gogh; he was successful at work, and at 20 was earning more than his father. Theo’s wife later remarked that this was the best year of Vincent’s life. At age 15, van Gogh’s family was struggling financially, and he was forced to leave school and go to work. He got a job at his Uncle Cornelis’ art dealership, Goupil & Cie., a firm of art dealers in The Hague. By this time, van Gogh was fluent in French, German and English, as well as his native Dutch. In June of 1873, van Gogh was transferred to the Groupil Gallery in London. There, he fell in love with English culture. He visited art galleries in his spare time, and also became a fan of the writings of Charles Dickens and George Eliot.
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Life as a Preacher Van Gogh taught in a Methodist boys’ school, and also preached to the congregation. Although raised in a religious family, it wasn’t until this time that he seriously began to consider devoting his life to the church Hoping to become a minister, he prepared to take the entrance exam to the School of Theology in Amsterdam. After a year of studying diligently, he refused to take the Latin exams, calling Latin a “dead language” of poor people, and was subsequently denied entrance. In the winter of 1878, van Gogh volunteered to move to an impoverished coal mine in the south of Belgium, a place where preachers were usually sent as punishment. He preached and ministered to the sick, and also drew pictures of the miners and their families, who called him “Christ of the Coal Mines.” The evangelical committees ~4
Finding Solace in Art
were not as pleased. They disagreed with van Gogh’s lifestyle, which had begun to take on a tone of martyrdom. They refused to renew van Gogh’s contract, and he was forced to find another occupation.
The Potato Eaters, 1885
Vincent Van Gogh, 1878
In the fall of 1880, van Gogh decided to move to Brussels and become an artist. Though he had no formal art training, his brother Theo offered to support van Gogh financially. He began taking lessons on his own, studying books like Travaux des champs by JeanFrançois Millet and Cours de dessin by Charles Bargue.
Van Gogh’s art helped him stay emotionally balanced. In 1885, he began work on what is considered to be his first masterpiece, “The Potato Eaters.” Theo, who by this time living in Paris, believed the painting would not be wellreceived in the French capital, where Impressionism had become the trend. ~5
Life as a Preacher Van Gogh taught in a Methodist boys’ school, and also preached to the congregation. Although raised in a religious family, it wasn’t until this time that he seriously began to consider devoting his life to the church Hoping to become a minister, he prepared to take the entrance exam to the School of Theology in Amsterdam. After a year of studying diligently, he refused to take the Latin exams, calling Latin a “dead language” of poor people, and was subsequently denied entrance. In the winter of 1878, van Gogh volunteered to move to an impoverished coal mine in the south of Belgium, a place where preachers were usually sent as punishment. He preached and ministered to the sick, and also drew pictures of the miners and their families, who called him “Christ of the Coal Mines.” The evangelical committees ~4
Finding Solace in Art
were not as pleased. They disagreed with van Gogh’s lifestyle, which had begun to take on a tone of martyrdom. They refused to renew van Gogh’s contract, and he was forced to find another occupation.
The Potato Eaters, 1885
Vincent Van Gogh, 1878
In the fall of 1880, van Gogh decided to move to Brussels and become an artist. Though he had no formal art training, his brother Theo offered to support van Gogh financially. He began taking lessons on his own, studying books like Travaux des champs by JeanFrançois Millet and Cours de dessin by Charles Bargue.
Van Gogh’s art helped him stay emotionally balanced. In 1885, he began work on what is considered to be his first masterpiece, “The Potato Eaters.” Theo, who by this time living in Paris, believed the painting would not be wellreceived in the French capital, where Impressionism had become the trend. ~5
Van Gogh's Ear
to the local brothel and paid for a prostitute named Rachel. With blood pouring from his hand, he offered her his ear, asking her to “keep this object carefully.” The police found van Gogh in his room the next morning, and admitted him to the HôtelDieu hospital. Theo arrived on Christmas Day to see van Gogh, who was weak from blood loss and having violent seizures. The doctors assured Theo that
his brother would live and would be taken good care of, and on January 7, 1889, van Gogh was released from the hospital. He remained, however, alone and depressed. For hope, he turned to painting and nature, but could not find peace and was hospitalized again. He would paint at the yellow house during the day and return to the hospital at night.
The Yellow House, 1888
In December 1888, van Gogh was living on coffee, bread and absinthe in Arles, France, and he found himself feeling sick and strange. Before long, it became apparent that in addition to suffering from physical illness, his psychological health was declining. Around this time, he is known to have sipped on turpentine and eaten paint. His brother Theo was worried, ~6
and he offered Paul Gauguin money to go watch over Vincent in Arles. Within a month, Vincent cut off his left ear when tempers flared with Paul Gauguin, the artist with whom he had been working for a while in Arles. During one of the psychological attacks, he used the knife. He could later recall nothing about the event. Hours later, van Gogh went ~7
Van Gogh's Ear
to the local brothel and paid for a prostitute named Rachel. With blood pouring from his hand, he offered her his ear, asking her to “keep this object carefully.” The police found van Gogh in his room the next morning, and admitted him to the HôtelDieu hospital. Theo arrived on Christmas Day to see van Gogh, who was weak from blood loss and having violent seizures. The doctors assured Theo that
his brother would live and would be taken good care of, and on January 7, 1889, van Gogh was released from the hospital. He remained, however, alone and depressed. For hope, he turned to painting and nature, but could not find peace and was hospitalized again. He would paint at the yellow house during the day and return to the hospital at night.
The Yellow House, 1888
In December 1888, van Gogh was living on coffee, bread and absinthe in Arles, France, and he found himself feeling sick and strange. Before long, it became apparent that in addition to suffering from physical illness, his psychological health was declining. Around this time, he is known to have sipped on turpentine and eaten paint. His brother Theo was worried, ~6
and he offered Paul Gauguin money to go watch over Vincent in Arles. Within a month, Vincent cut off his left ear when tempers flared with Paul Gauguin, the artist with whom he had been working for a while in Arles. During one of the psychological attacks, he used the knife. He could later recall nothing about the event. Hours later, van Gogh went ~7
Painting Style and Influences Van Gogh painted very rapidly with a sense of urgency, using the paint straight from the tube in thick, graphic brush strokes (impasto). In his last 70 days, he is said to have averaged one painting a day. Influenced by prints from Japan, he painted dark outlines around objects,
filling these in with areas of thick color. He knew that using complementary colors make each seem brighter, using yellows and oranges with blues and reds with greens. Occasionally, he deliberately restricted his palette, such as with the sunflowers, which are almost entirely yellows.
Color Palette Typical colors in Van Gogh’s palette included yellow ocher, chrome yellow, cadmium yellow, chrome orange, vermilion, Prussian blue,
ultramarine, lead white, zinc white, emerald green, red lake, red ocher, raw sienna, and black. His choice of colors varied with his moods.
“Instead of trying to exactly what I see before me, I make more arbitrary use of color to express myself more forcefully.� ~8
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Painting Style and Influences Van Gogh painted very rapidly with a sense of urgency, using the paint straight from the tube in thick, graphic brush strokes (impasto). In his last 70 days, he is said to have averaged one painting a day. Influenced by prints from Japan, he painted dark outlines around objects,
filling these in with areas of thick color. He knew that using complementary colors make each seem brighter, using yellows and oranges with blues and reds with greens. Occasionally, he deliberately restricted his palette, such as with the sunflowers, which are almost entirely yellows.
Color Palette Typical colors in Van Gogh’s palette included yellow ocher, chrome yellow, cadmium yellow, chrome orange, vermilion, Prussian blue,
ultramarine, lead white, zinc white, emerald green, red lake, red ocher, raw sienna, and black. His choice of colors varied with his moods.
“Instead of trying to exactly what I see before me, I make more arbitrary use of color to express myself more forcefully.� ~8
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cypresses, 1889
Cypresses and olives Fifteen canvases depict cypresses, a tree he became fascinated with in Arles. He brought life to the trees, which were traditionally seen as emblematic of death. The series of cypresses he began in Arles featured the trees in the distance, as windbreaks in fields; when he was at
Saint-Rémy he brought them to the foreground. Vincent wrote to Theo in May 1889: “Cypresses still preoccupy me, I should like to do something with them like my canvases of sunflowers”; he went on to say, “They are beautiful in line and proportion like an Egyptian obelisk.”
Wheatfield with cypresses, 1889
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cypresses, 1889
Cypresses and olives Fifteen canvases depict cypresses, a tree he became fascinated with in Arles. He brought life to the trees, which were traditionally seen as emblematic of death. The series of cypresses he began in Arles featured the trees in the distance, as windbreaks in fields; when he was at
Saint-Rémy he brought them to the foreground. Vincent wrote to Theo in May 1889: “Cypresses still preoccupy me, I should like to do something with them like my canvases of sunflowers”; he went on to say, “They are beautiful in line and proportion like an Egyptian obelisk.”
Wheatfield with cypresses, 1889
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Flowers Van Gogh painted several landscapes with flowers, including roses, lilacs, irises, and sunflowers. Some reflect his interests in the language of colour, and also in Japanese ukiyo-e. The 1888 paintings were created during a rare period of optimism for the artist. Flowering trees were special to van Gogh. They represented awakening and hope. He enjoyed them aesthetically and found joy in painting flowering trees
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Sunflowers, 1887
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Flowers Van Gogh painted several landscapes with flowers, including roses, lilacs, irises, and sunflowers. Some reflect his interests in the language of colour, and also in Japanese ukiyo-e. The 1888 paintings were created during a rare period of optimism for the artist. Flowering trees were special to van Gogh. They represented awakening and hope. He enjoyed them aesthetically and found joy in painting flowering trees
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Sunflowers, 1887
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Irises, 1889
Irises is one of several paintings of irises by the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, and one of a series of paintings he made at the Saint Paulde-Mausole asylum in SaintRémy-de-Provence, France, in the last year before his death in 1890. Van Gogh started painting Irises within a week of entering the asylum, in May 1889, working from nature in the hospital garden. He considered this painting a study which is probably why ~ 14
there are no known drawings for it, although Theo, Van Gogh’s brother, thought better of it and quickly submitted it to the annual exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants in September 1889, together with Starry Night Over the Rhone. He wrote to Vincent of the exhibition: “[It] strikes the eye from afar. The Irises are a beautiful study full of air and life.” The painting is one of his most renowned works
Almond Blossom, 1890
Almond Blossoms is from a group of several paintings made in 1888 and 1890 by Vincent van Gogh in Arles and Saint-Rémy, southern France of blossoming almond trees. The works reflect the influence of Impressionism, Divisionism, and Japanese woodcuts. Almond Blossom was made to celebrate the birth of his nephew and namesake, son of his brother Theo and sisterin-law Jo. The composition is unlike any other of van Gogh’s
paintings. The branches of the almond tree seem to float against the blue sky and fill the picture plane. The closeup of the branches brings to mind Delacroix’s proposition that “even a part of a thing is kind of a complete entity in itself.”Dark lines outline the branches. This is a feature that Van Gogh had admired in Japanese floral studies that, for example, may depict a portion of a stalk of bamboo in an empty space. ~ 15
Irises, 1889
Irises is one of several paintings of irises by the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, and one of a series of paintings he made at the Saint Paulde-Mausole asylum in SaintRémy-de-Provence, France, in the last year before his death in 1890. Van Gogh started painting Irises within a week of entering the asylum, in May 1889, working from nature in the hospital garden. He considered this painting a study which is probably why ~ 14
there are no known drawings for it, although Theo, Van Gogh’s brother, thought better of it and quickly submitted it to the annual exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants in September 1889, together with Starry Night Over the Rhone. He wrote to Vincent of the exhibition: “[It] strikes the eye from afar. The Irises are a beautiful study full of air and life.” The painting is one of his most renowned works
Almond Blossom, 1890
Almond Blossoms is from a group of several paintings made in 1888 and 1890 by Vincent van Gogh in Arles and Saint-Rémy, southern France of blossoming almond trees. The works reflect the influence of Impressionism, Divisionism, and Japanese woodcuts. Almond Blossom was made to celebrate the birth of his nephew and namesake, son of his brother Theo and sisterin-law Jo. The composition is unlike any other of van Gogh’s
paintings. The branches of the almond tree seem to float against the blue sky and fill the picture plane. The closeup of the branches brings to mind Delacroix’s proposition that “even a part of a thing is kind of a complete entity in itself.”Dark lines outline the branches. This is a feature that Van Gogh had admired in Japanese floral studies that, for example, may depict a portion of a stalk of bamboo in an empty space. ~ 15
Wheat fields Van Gogh made several painting excursions during visits to the landscape around Arles. He made paintings of harvests, wheat fields and other rural landmarks of the area, At various points, Van Gogh painted the view from his window – at The Hague, Antwerp, and Paris. These works culminated in The Wheat Field series, which depicted the view from his cells in the asylum at Saint-Rémy. Van Gogh was captivated by the fields in May when the wheat was young and green. His Wheatfields at Auvers with White House shows a more subdued palette of yellows and blues, which creates a sense of idyllic harmony. About 10 July 1890, Van Gogh wrote to Theo of “vast fields of wheat under troubled skies”. Wheatfield with Crows shows the artist’s state of mind in his final days. During his stay at the asylum he made about twelve paintings of the view of the enclosed wheat field and distant mountains.
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The Sower, 1889
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Wheat fields Van Gogh made several painting excursions during visits to the landscape around Arles. He made paintings of harvests, wheat fields and other rural landmarks of the area, At various points, Van Gogh painted the view from his window – at The Hague, Antwerp, and Paris. These works culminated in The Wheat Field series, which depicted the view from his cells in the asylum at Saint-Rémy. Van Gogh was captivated by the fields in May when the wheat was young and green. His Wheatfields at Auvers with White House shows a more subdued palette of yellows and blues, which creates a sense of idyllic harmony. About 10 July 1890, Van Gogh wrote to Theo of “vast fields of wheat under troubled skies”. Wheatfield with Crows shows the artist’s state of mind in his final days. During his stay at the asylum he made about twelve paintings of the view of the enclosed wheat field and distant mountains.
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The Sower, 1889
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Harvest in Provence, 1888
A relaxed version of the Harvest series, this painting shows a clever use of colours to depict the heat and dryness during summer in Arles. Harvest in Provence is also referred to as the Corn Harvest of Provence or the Grain Harvest of Provence. The painting shows harvested wheat and a farmer engrossed ~ 18
in his work in the foreground with houses and trees in the background.. He differentiated his brushstrokes, seen here in the spiky cut cornfield contrasted against the flat area of standing corn, and was applying his paint in great thick strokes that lend the picture plane a textural quality.
Wheatfield with Crows, 1890
Wheat Field with Crows, depicts a dramatic, cloudy sky filled with crows over a wheat field. A sense of isolation is heightened by a central path leading nowhere and by the uncertain direction of flight of the crows. Jules Michelet, one of van Gogh’s favorite authors, wrote of crows: “They interest themselves in everything, and observe everything. The ancients, who lived far more completely than ourselves in and with nature, found it no small profit to follow, in a hundred obscure things where human experience as yet
affords no light, the directions of so prudent and sage a bird.” Kathleen Erickson finds the painting as expressing both sorrow and a sense of his life coming to an end. The crows are used by van Gogh as a symbol of death and rebirth, or of resurrection. The road, in contrasting colors of red and green, is said by Erickson to be a metaphor for a sermon he gave based on Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress where the pilgrim is sorrowful that the road is so long, yet rejoices because the Eternal City waits at the journey’s end.
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Harvest in Provence, 1888
A relaxed version of the Harvest series, this painting shows a clever use of colours to depict the heat and dryness during summer in Arles. Harvest in Provence is also referred to as the Corn Harvest of Provence or the Grain Harvest of Provence. The painting shows harvested wheat and a farmer engrossed ~ 18
in his work in the foreground with houses and trees in the background.. He differentiated his brushstrokes, seen here in the spiky cut cornfield contrasted against the flat area of standing corn, and was applying his paint in great thick strokes that lend the picture plane a textural quality.
Wheatfield with Crows, 1890
Wheat Field with Crows, depicts a dramatic, cloudy sky filled with crows over a wheat field. A sense of isolation is heightened by a central path leading nowhere and by the uncertain direction of flight of the crows. Jules Michelet, one of van Gogh’s favorite authors, wrote of crows: “They interest themselves in everything, and observe everything. The ancients, who lived far more completely than ourselves in and with nature, found it no small profit to follow, in a hundred obscure things where human experience as yet
affords no light, the directions of so prudent and sage a bird.” Kathleen Erickson finds the painting as expressing both sorrow and a sense of his life coming to an end. The crows are used by van Gogh as a symbol of death and rebirth, or of resurrection. The road, in contrasting colors of red and green, is said by Erickson to be a metaphor for a sermon he gave based on Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress where the pilgrim is sorrowful that the road is so long, yet rejoices because the Eternal City waits at the journey’s end.
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Postman Joseph, 1888
Portraits The portraits gave Van Gogh his best opportunity to earn. He believed they were “the only thing in painting that moves me deeply and that gives me a sense of the infinite.� He wrote to his sister that he wished to paint portraits that would endure, and that he would use colour to capture their emotions and character rather than aiming for photographic realism.
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Postman Joseph, 1888
Portraits The portraits gave Van Gogh his best opportunity to earn. He believed they were “the only thing in painting that moves me deeply and that gives me a sense of the infinite.� He wrote to his sister that he wished to paint portraits that would endure, and that he would use colour to capture their emotions and character rather than aiming for photographic realism.
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Mother Roulin with Her Baby, 1888
Marcelle Roulin, the youngest child, was born on 31 July 1888, and four months old, when Van Gogh made her portraits. She was painted three times by herself and twice on her mother’s lap. Madame Roulin’s husband, the postman, was good friends with Vincent van Gogh while they were both in Arles. Although an infant so young could have hardly posed for long, van Gogh managed to implicate his style of marking his subjects with the events ~ 22
of their lives. This portrait does not idealize the infant, but manages to capture the essence of the newborn. The child does not possess the cherub like qualities of babies depicted in the rococo style, but the definition of the contours of the cheeks are undeniably infantile. The expressions of pale pinks, blues, and yellows, in the baby’s face show van Gogh’s intent to demonstrate the nature of the skin.
Dr. Gachet, 1890
Adeline Ravoux, 1890
Dr. Gachet was also an artist of the Impressionist era. Vincent van Gogh went to the doctor for medical care. Van Gogh saw himself in the doctor; like himself, he saw in Dr. Gachet “the heart-broken expression of our time.” Similar to many of van Gogh’s portraits, the painting is a study not of the physical features of the man, but of the inner qualities of the doctor’s personality. In 1990, it fetched a record price of $82.5 million
The twelve-year-old Adeline Ravoux was the daughter of Arthur-Gustave Ravoux, whose inn is where Van Gogh lodged in Auvers-sur-Oise. She later wrote a memoir of Van Gogh’s stay with them. She witnessed Van Gogh’s return to the inn after the fatal incident where he shot himself. She is thought to appear in a number of other paintings, including especially F819 Two Ladies Walking in a Landscape. The sheet fetched $480,000 at a Christie’s sale in 2007. ~ 23
Mother Roulin with Her Baby, 1888
Marcelle Roulin, the youngest child, was born on 31 July 1888, and four months old, when Van Gogh made her portraits. She was painted three times by herself and twice on her mother’s lap. Madame Roulin’s husband, the postman, was good friends with Vincent van Gogh while they were both in Arles. Although an infant so young could have hardly posed for long, van Gogh managed to implicate his style of marking his subjects with the events ~ 22
of their lives. This portrait does not idealize the infant, but manages to capture the essence of the newborn. The child does not possess the cherub like qualities of babies depicted in the rococo style, but the definition of the contours of the cheeks are undeniably infantile. The expressions of pale pinks, blues, and yellows, in the baby’s face show van Gogh’s intent to demonstrate the nature of the skin.
Dr. Gachet, 1890
Adeline Ravoux, 1890
Dr. Gachet was also an artist of the Impressionist era. Vincent van Gogh went to the doctor for medical care. Van Gogh saw himself in the doctor; like himself, he saw in Dr. Gachet “the heart-broken expression of our time.” Similar to many of van Gogh’s portraits, the painting is a study not of the physical features of the man, but of the inner qualities of the doctor’s personality. In 1990, it fetched a record price of $82.5 million
The twelve-year-old Adeline Ravoux was the daughter of Arthur-Gustave Ravoux, whose inn is where Van Gogh lodged in Auvers-sur-Oise. She later wrote a memoir of Van Gogh’s stay with them. She witnessed Van Gogh’s return to the inn after the fatal incident where he shot himself. She is thought to appear in a number of other paintings, including especially F819 Two Ladies Walking in a Landscape. The sheet fetched $480,000 at a Christie’s sale in 2007. ~ 23
Self-portrait, 1887
Self portraits “I purposely bought a mirror good enough to enable me to work from my image in default of a model, because if I can manage to paint the colouring of my own head, which is not to be done without some difficulty, I shall likewise be able to paint the heads of other good souls, men and women.�
-Vincent Van Gogh
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Self-portrait, 1887
Self portraits “I purposely bought a mirror good enough to enable me to work from my image in default of a model, because if I can manage to paint the colouring of my own head, which is not to be done without some difficulty, I shall likewise be able to paint the heads of other good souls, men and women.�
-Vincent Van Gogh
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Portraits of Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890) Vincent produced his selfportraits because he wanted to practise painting people. The majority of them – over 25 – were done while he was in Paris (1886–88). He was short of money in that period and struggled to find models. So the artist chose the simplest solution and painted himself. Only one portrait photo of Vincent has survived. It shows him at the age of 19 with a slightly gruff expression. Almost everything else we know about his appearance comes from the many selfportraits he painted. No fewer than 35 of them are
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known. They tell us that he had red hair, green eyes and an angular face. Yet each of those faces is different. Vincent often presented himself as restrained and serious in his self-portraits, with a look of concentration on his face. All the same, something of Vincent’s personality can be found in each self-portrait. He described the last one he did in Paris as ‘quite unkempt and sad’, something like, say, the face of – death’. That’s how he felt at the time: mentally and physically exhausted.
Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat, 1887
Self-Portrait as a Painter, 1888
Self-portrait, 1889
Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe, 1889 ~ 27
Portraits of Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890) Vincent produced his selfportraits because he wanted to practise painting people. The majority of them – over 25 – were done while he was in Paris (1886–88). He was short of money in that period and struggled to find models. So the artist chose the simplest solution and painted himself. Only one portrait photo of Vincent has survived. It shows him at the age of 19 with a slightly gruff expression. Almost everything else we know about his appearance comes from the many selfportraits he painted. No fewer than 35 of them are
~ 26
known. They tell us that he had red hair, green eyes and an angular face. Yet each of those faces is different. Vincent often presented himself as restrained and serious in his self-portraits, with a look of concentration on his face. All the same, something of Vincent’s personality can be found in each self-portrait. He described the last one he did in Paris as ‘quite unkempt and sad’, something like, say, the face of – death’. That’s how he felt at the time: mentally and physically exhausted.
Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat, 1887
Self-Portrait as a Painter, 1888
Self-portrait, 1889
Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe, 1889 ~ 27
The story of Starry Night Starry Night, 1889 Vincent van Gogh painted Starry Night in 1889 during his stay at the asylum of SaintPaul-de-Mausole near SaintRĂŠmy-de-Provence. Van Gogh was allowed more freedoms than any of the other patients. If attended, he could leave the hospital grounds; he was allowed to paint, read, and withdraw into his own room. He was even given a studio. While he suffered from the occasional relapse into paranoia and fits - officially he had been diagnosed with epileptic fits - it seemed his mental health was recovering. Unfortunately, he relapsed. He began to suffer hallucination and have thoughts of suicide as he plunged into depression. Accordingly, there was a tonal shift in his work. He returned to incorporating the darker colors from the beginning of his career and Starry Night is a wonderful example of that shift. ~ 28
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The story of Starry Night Starry Night, 1889 Vincent van Gogh painted Starry Night in 1889 during his stay at the asylum of SaintPaul-de-Mausole near SaintRĂŠmy-de-Provence. Van Gogh was allowed more freedoms than any of the other patients. If attended, he could leave the hospital grounds; he was allowed to paint, read, and withdraw into his own room. He was even given a studio. While he suffered from the occasional relapse into paranoia and fits - officially he had been diagnosed with epileptic fits - it seemed his mental health was recovering. Unfortunately, he relapsed. He began to suffer hallucination and have thoughts of suicide as he plunged into depression. Accordingly, there was a tonal shift in his work. He returned to incorporating the darker colors from the beginning of his career and Starry Night is a wonderful example of that shift. ~ 28
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Explanation
The Starry Night, a moderately abstract landscape painting (1889) of an expressive night sky over a small hillside village, one of Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh’s most celebrated works. The oil-on-canvas painting is dominated by a night sky roiling with chromatic blue swirls, a glowing yellow crescent moon, and stars rendered as radiating orbs. One or two cypress trees, often described as flame-like, tower over the foreground to the left, their dark branches ~ 30
curling and swaying to the movement of the sky that they partly obscure. Amid all this animation, a structured village sits in the distance on the lower right of the canvas. Straight controlled lines make up the small cottages and the slender steeple of a church, which rises as a beacon against rolling blue hills. The glowing yellow squares of the houses suggest the welcoming lights of peaceful homes, creating a calm corner amid the painting’s turbulence.
Starry Night over the rhone, 1888
The challenge of painting at night intrigued van Gogh. The vantage point he chose for Starry Night allowed him to capture the reflections of the gas lighting in Arles across the glimmering blue water of the RhĂ´ne. In the foreground, two lovers stroll by the banks of the river. Depicting color was of great
importance to Vincent; in letters to his brother, Theo, he often described objects in his paintings in terms of color. His night paintings, including Starry Night, emphasize the importance he placed on capturing the sparkling colors of the night sky and of the artificial lighting that was new to the era. ~ 31
Explanation
The Starry Night, a moderately abstract landscape painting (1889) of an expressive night sky over a small hillside village, one of Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh’s most celebrated works. The oil-on-canvas painting is dominated by a night sky roiling with chromatic blue swirls, a glowing yellow crescent moon, and stars rendered as radiating orbs. One or two cypress trees, often described as flame-like, tower over the foreground to the left, their dark branches ~ 30
curling and swaying to the movement of the sky that they partly obscure. Amid all this animation, a structured village sits in the distance on the lower right of the canvas. Straight controlled lines make up the small cottages and the slender steeple of a church, which rises as a beacon against rolling blue hills. The glowing yellow squares of the houses suggest the welcoming lights of peaceful homes, creating a calm corner amid the painting’s turbulence.
Starry Night over the rhone, 1888
The challenge of painting at night intrigued van Gogh. The vantage point he chose for Starry Night allowed him to capture the reflections of the gas lighting in Arles across the glimmering blue water of the RhĂ´ne. In the foreground, two lovers stroll by the banks of the river. Depicting color was of great
importance to Vincent; in letters to his brother, Theo, he often described objects in his paintings in terms of color. His night paintings, including Starry Night, emphasize the importance he placed on capturing the sparkling colors of the night sky and of the artificial lighting that was new to the era. ~ 31
Saint-Paul Asylum Following the incident with Paul Gauguin in Arles in December 1888 in which van Gogh cut off part of his left ear he was hospitalized in Arles twice over a few months. It is located in an area of cornfields, vineyards and olive trees at the time run by a former naval doctor, Dr. Théophile Peyron. Theo arranged for two small rooms—adjoining cells with barred windows. The second was to be used as a studio. Van Gogh was initially confined to the immediate asylum grounds and painted (without the bars) the world he saw from his room, such as ivy covered trees, lilacs, and irises of the garden. Through the open bars Van Gogh could also see an enclosed wheat field, subject of many paintings at Saint-Rémy. As he ventured outside of the asylum walls, he painted the wheat fields, olive groves, and cypress trees of the surrounding countryside, ~ 32
which he saw as “characteristic of Provence.” Over the course of the year, he painted about 150 canvases. The imposed regimen of asylum life gave Van Gogh a hard-won stability: “I feel happier here with my work than I could be outside. By
staying here a good long time, I shall have learned regular habits and in the long run the result will be more order in my life.” While his time at Saint-Rémy forced his management of his vices, such as coffee, alcohol, poor eating habits and periodic attempts to consume turpentine and paint, his stay was not ideal. He needed to obtain permission to leave
the asylum grounds. The food was poor; he generally ate only bread and soup. His only apparent form of treatment were two-hour baths twice a week. In a letter to Theo in May 1889 he explains the sounds that travel through the quietseeming halls, “There is someone here who has been shouting and talking like me all the time for a fortnight. He thinks he hears voices and words in the echoes of the corridors, probably because the auditory nerve is diseased and over-sensitive, and in my case it was both sight and hearing at the same time, which is usual at the onset of epilepsy, according to what Dr. Félix Rey said one day.” During his year there, Van Gogh would have periodic attacks, possibly due to a form of epilepsy. By early 1890 van Gogh’s attacks of illness worsened and he believed that his stay at the asylum was not helping to make him better. This led to his plans to move to Auvers-sur-Oise just north of Paris in May 1890. ~ 33
Saint-Paul Asylum Following the incident with Paul Gauguin in Arles in December 1888 in which van Gogh cut off part of his left ear he was hospitalized in Arles twice over a few months. It is located in an area of cornfields, vineyards and olive trees at the time run by a former naval doctor, Dr. Théophile Peyron. Theo arranged for two small rooms—adjoining cells with barred windows. The second was to be used as a studio. Van Gogh was initially confined to the immediate asylum grounds and painted (without the bars) the world he saw from his room, such as ivy covered trees, lilacs, and irises of the garden. Through the open bars Van Gogh could also see an enclosed wheat field, subject of many paintings at Saint-Rémy. As he ventured outside of the asylum walls, he painted the wheat fields, olive groves, and cypress trees of the surrounding countryside, ~ 32
which he saw as “characteristic of Provence.” Over the course of the year, he painted about 150 canvases. The imposed regimen of asylum life gave Van Gogh a hard-won stability: “I feel happier here with my work than I could be outside. By
staying here a good long time, I shall have learned regular habits and in the long run the result will be more order in my life.” While his time at Saint-Rémy forced his management of his vices, such as coffee, alcohol, poor eating habits and periodic attempts to consume turpentine and paint, his stay was not ideal. He needed to obtain permission to leave
the asylum grounds. The food was poor; he generally ate only bread and soup. His only apparent form of treatment were two-hour baths twice a week. In a letter to Theo in May 1889 he explains the sounds that travel through the quietseeming halls, “There is someone here who has been shouting and talking like me all the time for a fortnight. He thinks he hears voices and words in the echoes of the corridors, probably because the auditory nerve is diseased and over-sensitive, and in my case it was both sight and hearing at the same time, which is usual at the onset of epilepsy, according to what Dr. Félix Rey said one day.” During his year there, Van Gogh would have periodic attacks, possibly due to a form of epilepsy. By early 1890 van Gogh’s attacks of illness worsened and he believed that his stay at the asylum was not helping to make him better. This led to his plans to move to Auvers-sur-Oise just north of Paris in May 1890. ~ 33
The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh The Letters of Vincent van Gogh refers to a collection of 903 surviving letters written (820) or received (83) by Vincent van Gogh. More than 650 of these were from Vincent to his brother Theo. The collection also includes letters van Gogh wrote to his sister Wil and other relatives, as well as between artists such as Paul Gauguin, Anthon van Rappard and Émile Bernard. Vincent’s sister-in-law and wife to his brother Theo, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, spent many years after her husband’s death in 1891 compiling the letters, which were first published in 1914.
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The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh The Letters of Vincent van Gogh refers to a collection of 903 surviving letters written (820) or received (83) by Vincent van Gogh. More than 650 of these were from Vincent to his brother Theo. The collection also includes letters van Gogh wrote to his sister Wil and other relatives, as well as between artists such as Paul Gauguin, Anthon van Rappard and Émile Bernard. Vincent’s sister-in-law and wife to his brother Theo, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, spent many years after her husband’s death in 1891 compiling the letters, which were first published in 1914.
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Theo (left) and Vincent (right) The most comprehensive primary source on Van Gogh is the correspondence between him and his younger brother, Theo. Their lifelong friendship, and most of what is known of Vincent’s thoughts and theories of art, are recorded in the hundreds of letters they exchanged from 1872 until 1890. Theo van Gogh was an art dealer and provided his brother with financial and emotional support, and access to influential people on the contemporary art scene ~ 36
Theo kept all of Vincent’s letters to him; Vincent kept few of the letters he received. After both had died, Theo’s widow Johanna arranged for the publication of some of their letters. A few appeared in 1906 and 1913; the majority were published in 1914. Vincent’s letters are eloquent and expressive and have been described as having a “diarylike intimacy”,and read in parts like autobiography. The translator Arnold Pomerans wrote that their publication
adds a “fresh dimension to the understanding of Van Gogh’s artistic achievement, an understanding granted to us by virtually no other painter”. There are more than 600 letters from Vincent to Theo and around 40 from Theo to Vincent. There are 22 to his sister Wil, 58 to the painter Anthon van Rappard, 22 to Émile Bernard as well as individual letters to Paul Signac, Paul Gauguin and the critic Albert Aurier. Some are illustrated with sketches.Many are undated, but art historians have been able to place most in chronological order. Problems in transcription and dating remain, mainly with those posted from Arles. While there Vincent wrote around 200 letters in Dutch, French and English.There is a gap in the record when he lived in Paris as the brothers lived together and had no need to correspond First published in three volumes in 1914, only 24 years after his death, the letters of Vincent Van Gogh have captivated lovers of his
painting for over a century for the insights they offer into his creative bliss and anguish. They have also long been accorded the status of literature. “There is scarcely one letter by Van Gogh,” wrote W.H. Auden, “which I do not find fascinating.” That first published collection consisted only of the painter’s 651 letters to his younger brother, Theo, who died six months after Vincent. Compiled and published by Theo’s wife, Johanna, Van Gogh’s correspondence became instrumental in spreading his fame as both an artist and as a chronicler of deep emotional experiences and religious and philosophical convictions. Now available in a six-volume scholarly collection of 819 letters Vincent wrote to Theo and various family members and friends---as well as 83 letters he received---the full correspondence shows us a man who “could write very expressively and had a powerful ability to evoke a scene or landscape with ~ 37
Theo (left) and Vincent (right) The most comprehensive primary source on Van Gogh is the correspondence between him and his younger brother, Theo. Their lifelong friendship, and most of what is known of Vincent’s thoughts and theories of art, are recorded in the hundreds of letters they exchanged from 1872 until 1890. Theo van Gogh was an art dealer and provided his brother with financial and emotional support, and access to influential people on the contemporary art scene ~ 36
Theo kept all of Vincent’s letters to him; Vincent kept few of the letters he received. After both had died, Theo’s widow Johanna arranged for the publication of some of their letters. A few appeared in 1906 and 1913; the majority were published in 1914. Vincent’s letters are eloquent and expressive and have been described as having a “diarylike intimacy”,and read in parts like autobiography. The translator Arnold Pomerans wrote that their publication
adds a “fresh dimension to the understanding of Van Gogh’s artistic achievement, an understanding granted to us by virtually no other painter”. There are more than 600 letters from Vincent to Theo and around 40 from Theo to Vincent. There are 22 to his sister Wil, 58 to the painter Anthon van Rappard, 22 to Émile Bernard as well as individual letters to Paul Signac, Paul Gauguin and the critic Albert Aurier. Some are illustrated with sketches.Many are undated, but art historians have been able to place most in chronological order. Problems in transcription and dating remain, mainly with those posted from Arles. While there Vincent wrote around 200 letters in Dutch, French and English.There is a gap in the record when he lived in Paris as the brothers lived together and had no need to correspond First published in three volumes in 1914, only 24 years after his death, the letters of Vincent Van Gogh have captivated lovers of his
painting for over a century for the insights they offer into his creative bliss and anguish. They have also long been accorded the status of literature. “There is scarcely one letter by Van Gogh,” wrote W.H. Auden, “which I do not find fascinating.” That first published collection consisted only of the painter’s 651 letters to his younger brother, Theo, who died six months after Vincent. Compiled and published by Theo’s wife, Johanna, Van Gogh’s correspondence became instrumental in spreading his fame as both an artist and as a chronicler of deep emotional experiences and religious and philosophical convictions. Now available in a six-volume scholarly collection of 819 letters Vincent wrote to Theo and various family members and friends---as well as 83 letters he received---the full correspondence shows us a man who “could write very expressively and had a powerful ability to evoke a scene or landscape with ~ 37
well-chosen words.” So write the Van Gogh Museum, who also host all of those letters online, with thoroughly annotated English translations, manuscript facsimiles, and more. The collection dates from 1872---with a few mundane notes written to Theo---to Van Gogh’s last letter to his brother in July of 1890. “I’d really like to write to you about many things,” Vincent begins in that final communication, “but sense the pointlessness of it.” He ends the letter with an equally ominous sentiment: “Ah well, I risk my life for my own work and my reason has half foundered in it.” In-between these very personal windows onto Van Gogh’s state of mind, we see the progression of his career. Early letters contain much discussion between him and Theo about the business of art (Vincent worked as an art dealer between 1869 and 1876). Endless money worries preoccupy the bulk of Vincent’s letters to his family. And there are later letters between ~ 38
Vincent and Paul Gaugin and painter Emile Bernard, almost exclusively about technique. Since he was “not in a dependent position” with artist friends as he was with family, in the few letters he exchanged with his peers, points out the Van Gogh Museum, “the sole focus was on art.” And as you can see here, Van Gogh would not only “evoke a scene or landscape” with words, but also with many dozens of illustrations. Many are sketches for paintings in progress, some quick observations and rapid portraits, and some fullycomposed scenes. Van Gogh’s sketches “basically served one purpose, which was to give the recipient an idea of something that he was working on or had finished.” (See the sketch of his room in an 1888 letter to Gauguin at the top of the post.) In early letters to Theo, the sketches—which Vincent called “scratches”--also served to convince his younger brother and patron of his commitment and to demonstrate his progress. ~ 39
well-chosen words.” So write the Van Gogh Museum, who also host all of those letters online, with thoroughly annotated English translations, manuscript facsimiles, and more. The collection dates from 1872---with a few mundane notes written to Theo---to Van Gogh’s last letter to his brother in July of 1890. “I’d really like to write to you about many things,” Vincent begins in that final communication, “but sense the pointlessness of it.” He ends the letter with an equally ominous sentiment: “Ah well, I risk my life for my own work and my reason has half foundered in it.” In-between these very personal windows onto Van Gogh’s state of mind, we see the progression of his career. Early letters contain much discussion between him and Theo about the business of art (Vincent worked as an art dealer between 1869 and 1876). Endless money worries preoccupy the bulk of Vincent’s letters to his family. And there are later letters between ~ 38
Vincent and Paul Gaugin and painter Emile Bernard, almost exclusively about technique. Since he was “not in a dependent position” with artist friends as he was with family, in the few letters he exchanged with his peers, points out the Van Gogh Museum, “the sole focus was on art.” And as you can see here, Van Gogh would not only “evoke a scene or landscape” with words, but also with many dozens of illustrations. Many are sketches for paintings in progress, some quick observations and rapid portraits, and some fullycomposed scenes. Van Gogh’s sketches “basically served one purpose, which was to give the recipient an idea of something that he was working on or had finished.” (See the sketch of his room in an 1888 letter to Gauguin at the top of the post.) In early letters to Theo, the sketches—which Vincent called “scratches”--also served to convince his younger brother and patron of his commitment and to demonstrate his progress. ~ 39
Death On July 27, 1890, Vincent van Gogh went out to paint in the morning carrying a loaded pistol and shot himself in the chest, but the bullet did not kill him. He was found bleeding in his room. Van Gogh was distraught about his future because, in May of that year, his brother Theo had visited and spoke to him about needing to be stricter with his finances. Van Gogh took that to mean Theo was no longer interested in selling his art. Van Gogh was taken to a nearby hospital and his doctors sent for Theo, who arrived to find his brother sitting up in
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bed and smoking a pipe. They spent the next couple of days talking together, and then van Gogh asked Theo to take him home. On July 29, 1890, Vincent van Gogh died in the arms of his brother Theo. He was only 37 years old. Theo, who was suffering from syphilis and weakened by his brother’s death, died six months after his brother in a Dutch asylum. He was buried in Utrecht, but in 1914 Theo’s wife, Johanna, who was a dedicated supporter of van Gogh’s works, had Theo’s body reburied in the Auvers cemetery next to Vincent.
Vincent and Theo buried together in Auvers-sur-Oise
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Death On July 27, 1890, Vincent van Gogh went out to paint in the morning carrying a loaded pistol and shot himself in the chest, but the bullet did not kill him. He was found bleeding in his room. Van Gogh was distraught about his future because, in May of that year, his brother Theo had visited and spoke to him about needing to be stricter with his finances. Van Gogh took that to mean Theo was no longer interested in selling his art. Van Gogh was taken to a nearby hospital and his doctors sent for Theo, who arrived to find his brother sitting up in
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bed and smoking a pipe. They spent the next couple of days talking together, and then van Gogh asked Theo to take him home. On July 29, 1890, Vincent van Gogh died in the arms of his brother Theo. He was only 37 years old. Theo, who was suffering from syphilis and weakened by his brother’s death, died six months after his brother in a Dutch asylum. He was buried in Utrecht, but in 1914 Theo’s wife, Johanna, who was a dedicated supporter of van Gogh’s works, had Theo’s body reburied in the Auvers cemetery next to Vincent.
Vincent and Theo buried together in Auvers-sur-Oise
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Movies on Vincent Van Gogh Vincent van Gogh has been one of history’s most celebrated and most mysterious figures. A Dutch painter known for his landscapes and portraits, he hardly managed to sell paintings in his short depressing life. But now, his popularity soars more than ever with his artworks being sold for millions. His painting A Starry Night, along with his other pieces, continues to enthrall the world. His life and mysterious death (rumored to be suicide) have been the subject of various realistic and fictional portrayals on-screen. Here are the 4 best portrayals of Vincent van Gogh in film.
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Movies on Vincent Van Gogh Vincent van Gogh has been one of history’s most celebrated and most mysterious figures. A Dutch painter known for his landscapes and portraits, he hardly managed to sell paintings in his short depressing life. But now, his popularity soars more than ever with his artworks being sold for millions. His painting A Starry Night, along with his other pieces, continues to enthrall the world. His life and mysterious death (rumored to be suicide) have been the subject of various realistic and fictional portrayals on-screen. Here are the 4 best portrayals of Vincent van Gogh in film.
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Lust for Life (1956)
Kirk Douglas plays Van Gogh in Lust for Life, a 1956 movie that focuses on the painter’s early struggles to find a career he was passionate about. It shows Van Gogh’s interest in the religious life and depicts why he ultimately decided to become an artist.
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You’ll also discover how Van Gogh learned to draw and paint! The movie is based on a novel of the same name by Irving Stone, and the role landed Douglas an Academy Award nomination.
Vincent and Theo (1990)
This 1990 period drama tells the story of Van Gogh and his brother Theo. Tim Roth plays Vincent and Paul Rhys plays Theo. The movie is based on various letters written between the two brothers over the years. Vincent and Theo does
a great job of telling Van Gogh’s story as well as Theo’s. You’ll learn just how much Van Gogh relied on his brother’s help. If it wasn’t for the financial support of Theo, Van Gogh would have never gone on to become a painter!
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Lust for Life (1956)
Kirk Douglas plays Van Gogh in Lust for Life, a 1956 movie that focuses on the painter’s early struggles to find a career he was passionate about. It shows Van Gogh’s interest in the religious life and depicts why he ultimately decided to become an artist.
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You’ll also discover how Van Gogh learned to draw and paint! The movie is based on a novel of the same name by Irving Stone, and the role landed Douglas an Academy Award nomination.
Vincent and Theo (1990)
This 1990 period drama tells the story of Van Gogh and his brother Theo. Tim Roth plays Vincent and Paul Rhys plays Theo. The movie is based on various letters written between the two brothers over the years. Vincent and Theo does
a great job of telling Van Gogh’s story as well as Theo’s. You’ll learn just how much Van Gogh relied on his brother’s help. If it wasn’t for the financial support of Theo, Van Gogh would have never gone on to become a painter!
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The Eyes of Van Gogh (2005)
The Eyes of Van Gogh is a 2005 drama that tells the story of Van Gogh’s time in an asylum. Van Gogh voluntarily entered himself into the Saint Remy asylum for 12 months when his epilepsy began to interfere with his life. Director Alexander Barnett does an excellent job of ~ 46
showing how Van Gogh experienced the world when he was in the asylum. This movie is all about what it’s like to enter into a state of madness. This one may not be for the feign of heart and can be really intense at times, just to warn you!
Loving Vincent (2017)
In this movie, you’ll learn more about the painter’s life through the use of over 130 animated versions of his paintings. I’ve never seen anything like this film, and Loving Vincent really knocked it out of the park for me.
The movie was nominated for an Oscar, and also caused a bit of controversy. As I already mentioned, historians have always assumed that Van Gogh killed himself. Loving Vincent explores the possibility that his death was, in fact, an accident.
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The Eyes of Van Gogh (2005)
The Eyes of Van Gogh is a 2005 drama that tells the story of Van Gogh’s time in an asylum. Van Gogh voluntarily entered himself into the Saint Remy asylum for 12 months when his epilepsy began to interfere with his life. Director Alexander Barnett does an excellent job of ~ 46
showing how Van Gogh experienced the world when he was in the asylum. This movie is all about what it’s like to enter into a state of madness. This one may not be for the feign of heart and can be really intense at times, just to warn you!
Loving Vincent (2017)
In this movie, you’ll learn more about the painter’s life through the use of over 130 animated versions of his paintings. I’ve never seen anything like this film, and Loving Vincent really knocked it out of the park for me.
The movie was nominated for an Oscar, and also caused a bit of controversy. As I already mentioned, historians have always assumed that Van Gogh killed himself. Loving Vincent explores the possibility that his death was, in fact, an accident.
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Van Gogh Museum
Legacy Theo’s wife Johanna then collected as many of van Gogh’s paintings as she could, but discovered that many had been destroyed or lost, as van Gogh’s own mother had thrown away crates full of his art. On March 17, 1901, 71 of van Gogh’s paintings were displayed at a show in Paris, and his fame grew enormously. His mother lived long enough to see her son hailed as an artistic genius. Today, Vincent van Gogh is considered one of the greatest artists in human history.
In 1973, the Van Gogh Museum opened its doors in Amsterdam to make the works of Vincent van Gogh accessible to the public. The museum houses more than 200 van Gogh paintings, 500 drawings and 750 written documents including letters to Vincent’s brother Theo. It features self-portraits, “The Potato Eaters,” “The Bedroom” and “Sunflowers.” In September 2013, the museum discovered and ~ 48
unveiled a van Gogh painting of a landscape entitled “Sunset at Montmajour.” Before coming under the possession of the Van Gogh Museum, a Norwegian industrialist owned the painting and stored it away in his attic, having thought that it wasn’t authentic. The painting is believed to have been created by van Gogh in 1888 — around the same time that his artwork “Sunflowers” was made — just two years before his death. ~ 49
Van Gogh Museum
Legacy Theo’s wife Johanna then collected as many of van Gogh’s paintings as she could, but discovered that many had been destroyed or lost, as van Gogh’s own mother had thrown away crates full of his art. On March 17, 1901, 71 of van Gogh’s paintings were displayed at a show in Paris, and his fame grew enormously. His mother lived long enough to see her son hailed as an artistic genius. Today, Vincent van Gogh is considered one of the greatest artists in human history.
In 1973, the Van Gogh Museum opened its doors in Amsterdam to make the works of Vincent van Gogh accessible to the public. The museum houses more than 200 van Gogh paintings, 500 drawings and 750 written documents including letters to Vincent’s brother Theo. It features self-portraits, “The Potato Eaters,” “The Bedroom” and “Sunflowers.” In September 2013, the museum discovered and ~ 48
unveiled a van Gogh painting of a landscape entitled “Sunset at Montmajour.” Before coming under the possession of the Van Gogh Museum, a Norwegian industrialist owned the painting and stored it away in his attic, having thought that it wasn’t authentic. The painting is believed to have been created by van Gogh in 1888 — around the same time that his artwork “Sunflowers” was made — just two years before his death. ~ 49
Dear Vincent Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks. They include landscapes, still lifes, portraits and self-portraits, and are characterised by bold colours and dramatic, impulsive and expressive brushwork that contributed to the foundations of modern art. He was not commercially successful, and his suicide at 37 came after years of mental illness, depression and poverty. Born into an upper-middle-class family, Van Gogh drew as a child and was serious, quiet, and thoughtful. As a young man he worked as an art dealer, often travelling, but became depressed after he was transferred to London. He turned to religion and spent time as a Protestant missionary in southern Belgium. He drifted in ill health and solitude before taking up painting in 1881, having moved back home with his parents. His younger brother Theo supported him financially, and the two kept a long correspondence by letter.
U.S. $10 Published by Beacon publication
