Art Talk: Vincent Van Gogh

I recently finished listening to Lust for Life by Irving Stone about Vincent van Gogh. This is the second time I have listened to this book. After having been to Amsterdam and the van Gogh Museum and seeing more of van Gogh's pictures I understood it and him much better.

I want to take you on a little painting tour of van Gogh's life from his paintings. This will be a little limited as I am using only pictures that I have photographed myself through the years and at different museums.

Vincent van Gogh
Self Portrait, 1887
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Vincent was born in Zunderf, Netherlands in 1853. His father and uncle were ministers and his another uncles were art dealers.

In 1869, at the age of 16, Vincent went to work at Goupil's in London. He fell in love and got his heart broken. He then transferred to Ramsgate, England and eventually left the art dealer world. He went Amsterdam in 1877, at the age of 23, to train to be a minister.

After a year in Amsterdam he got a position in the Borinage in Belgium. He worked with the poor miners and gave his all to the people, even the clothes he was wearing.

In the Borinage he drew the miners and in Nuenen, Netherlands he drew and painted the weavers and peasants. His first major painting came from this time and is called Potato Eaters.

His canvas was very dark in the style of the Dutch painters, especially Jean-François Millet, who Vincent looked up to as an artist. Below is one of the paintings he did after Millet.

Vincent van Gogh, 1890
First Steps, after Millet
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

Theo and Vincent had an agreement, Theo would send Vincent money to live and buy paint and supplies and Vincent would send Theo his canvases. Theo was now working at Goupil's and was an art dealer.

Vincent often ran out of money. When he ran out of money to pay for models he would often paint himself.


National Gallery of Art, DC	The Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois	Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Vincent was very close to his brother Theo. He wrote him hundreds of letter through the years. Theo was living and working in Paris and often encouraged Vincent to come to Paris to see the new artists... the impressionist.

In this painting you can see the impressionist influence, looking like a Sisley to me. It was painted while he was living in Paris.

Vincent van Gogh
Montmartre: Behind the Moulin de la Galette, 1887
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

After spending two years in Paris and becoming close to many of the post impressionists his color pallet shifted dramatically.


Irises, 1890, MET, New York City		Ireses, 1889 Getty, Los Angeles, California

With his most dramatic colors coming in the yellows of his sunflowers.

After having the grand idea to make an artist colony Vincent realized that he needed to break away from other artists and went to live in the south of France in Arles.

Vincent invited Paul Gaugin to come and live and paint with him in the Yellow House in Arles. He decorated the house for Paul's arrival and this is the Bedroom.

Like many artist of the time Vincent was very influenced by Japanese art. You can see an example of that in the painting above and below. The tour guide told us that he sent this to his brother Theo after he had is son, whom he named Vincent.

Vincent suffered from mental illness (in the book the author referred to it as epilepsy) and spent time in an asylum in Saint-Rémy, France.

He was allowed to go out in the garden and occasionally to the surrounding area.

During this time he painted some of his most famous works of art, including Starry Night.

Vincent van Gogh
Garden of the Asylum, 1889
van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

He also did this Cypress painting, which is near to my heart. My mom had a copy of in our home growing up and I didn't realize it was a van Gogh till college.

Vincent van Gogh
Undergrowth With Two Figures, 1890
Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio

This beautiful painting was painted in the last year of his life. It has the nature he so love with those characteristic van Gogh brushstrokes.

It is a beautiful painting that I saw for the first time in Cincinnati.

In May of 1890 van Gogh moved to Auvers-sur-Oise to be closer to Theo and under the care of Dr Paul Gachet. Dr. Gachet was a great art lover and he encouraged Vincent to paint.

Wheatfield with Crows is my favorite from the van Gogh Museum.

Everyone has a story worth sharing and Vincent van Gogh's is so interesting and that he painted and wrote his life story (letters to Theo) for us to see and read so many years later.

Sources:
Lust for Life by Irving Stone
Vincent Van Gogh
Art Talk: Van Gogh Museum Highlight Tour