We planned a morning visit to the Van Gogh Museum before boarding our cruise ship at 3 pm. Another busy day! Click here for Richard’s ReLive version of the day: https://www.relive.com/view/vmqXzgnp7oO
6.04 miles in on and off rain.
The Van Gogh Museum reports a timeline of Vincent’s life with his projects and relationships highlighting his works. Exhibits are divided on four floors: self portraits, his time, friends and family, and beyond.
There are many self portraits, not meant to show what he looked like but as exercises in color, brushwork, and facial expression. However, in this “Self-Portrait as a Painter,” he wrote “It’s only in front of the easel while painting that I feel a little of life.”
“Sunflowers” painted in 1888 was a series of five canvases that have been among his most famous. With three shades of yellow and “nothing else in the way,” he demonstrated that it was possible to create an image with numerous variations of a single color without any loss of eloquence.
“The Yellow House” painted in 1888 was Van Gogh’s house in Arles in France that he captured as an exercise in color. The yellow house with green shutters glows under a sulphur sun against a pure cobalt sky. His studio was on the first floor and his bedroom was upstairs. He hoped to turn the house into an artists’ house where he could live and work with others.
In his 1889 group “Evening (after Millet),” Van Gogh painted some of scenes of his love of rural peasant workers in the style of one of the artists he admired. He used prints of Millet translating from black and white to color, giving the works new character.
While living in Arles, Van Gogh kept in touch with artist friends through letters, sketches, and sometimes paintings. Van Gogh asked his friends Guguin and Bernard to make portraits of one another in exchange for a work by him, but instead they each sent him a self-portrait with a likeness of the other in the background.
Above is Bernard’s 1888 painting “Self-Portrait with Portrait of Gauguin.”
Below is the Gauguin 1888 painting “Self-Portrait with Portait of Emile Bernard (Les miserables).”
Gauguin did decide to move into Van Gogh’s house in Arles, but they had artistic differences and he stayed only two months. After an argument in December 1888, Gauguin left the house and in a state of total confusion, Vincent cut off his left ear. This was the beginning of a series of mental breakdowns.
Vincent was very close to his brother, Theo, as a friend, a sounding board, and a financier. Theo was an art dealer in Paris and had a good income. Theo admired Vincent for his drive and admired his art, and supported him for 10 years in return for his art.
The many letters between Vincent and Theo give clues to the intelligent, passionate man with all-encompassing love of art.
In May, 1890, Van Gogh voluntarily admits himself into a psychiatric institution. He is only there a short time, but paints scenes outside even through barred windows. He also copies artists’ black and white paintings with color.
When Van Gogh left the hospital, he moved to Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris, and rented a room. His doctor advised Vincent to paint above all else.
in July of 1890, Van Gogh walked into a nearby wheat field and shot himself in the chest with a revolver. He died two days later with his brother, Theo, at his side.
In his 1889 group “Evening (after Millet),” Van Gogh painted some of scenes of his love of rural peasant workers in the style of one of the artists he admired. He used prints of Millet translating from black and white to color, giving the works new character.
“Cypresses and Two Women” painted by Van Gogh in 1890.
“Portrait of Jo Van Gogh-Bonger Writing” by Johan Cohen Gosschalk c.1902.
When Theo died shortly after Vincent in 1891, Theo’s widow, Jo, saw it as her duty to continue Theo’s dream that his brother would get the recognition he deserved. She devoted her life to raising awareness of Van Gogh’s art.
Our cabin on the Celebrity Eclipse with Ann visiting. She has a cabin nearby.
New friends Debbie and Jan from the Netherlands are new dinner companions.
Our ship clears the IJmuiden sea lock serving Port of Amsterdam via the North Sea Canal. It is the largest lock in the world when considering dimensions. Although it took time to transfer through the lock, it did not appear to raise a ship of our size too much.
Onward to Scotland with a sea day tomorrow.
2 Responses
I look forward to the day I get to see his works in person. I love the “Cypresses and Two Women” painting. Is it as textured as it appears in the photo?
Van Gogh art is the best!